Methodist in the Media
Technology helps bridge gap between patients, would-be visitors
Published: May 4, 2020
When Arnold Rathke of Council Bluffs was taken to Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital for hip surgery last weekend, his family was there.
Emergency room technician Amber Hopp was also there and met them at the ambulance.
But then they had to leave. Jennie, like many other hospitals, currently is not allowing visitors because of the danger of spreading the novel coronavirus.
“I really needed to visit with my dad and let him know that my mom was OK,” Wiggins said.
Said Hopp, “I offered to take my phone up so she could talk to him before he went into surgery.”
But she didn’t just let them talk to each other. Hopp opened FaceTime and let them talk “face to face.”
“He grabbed my hand and got teary-eyed and said ‘thank you very much — ’ that I made his day,” she said. “It was so neat to see his face light up and her face light up.”
The Daily Nonpareil: Technology helps bridge gap between patients, would-be visitors
