Patient Testimonials
Inspirational Stories told by Our Neighbors
Cancer Care
"Treated like Family"
Bob Lafleche, Southbridge
To Bob Lafleche, it comes down to two things: closeness and compassion.
The Sturbridge resident receives both radiation and chemotherapy treatment at The Cancer Center at Harrington, and he wouldn't consider going anywhere else.
"People are very caring here," he said. "I've been welcomed with open arms. They've been very, very compassionate, including the volunteers. It's a family atmosphere here."
Lafleche is also happy that he doesn't have to drive long distances to get his care.
The Cancer Center at Harrington is about a five-minute drive from his home in Sturbridge, so he is able to get there by himself.
What if he were referred to a larger facility farther away?
"I don't know if I'd go to Worcester," he said. "Having to jump onto Route 290 to get into the city - it's not that close to me."
Lafleche, who is under the care of Dr. Shakeeb Yunus for his infusion treatments and Dr. T.J. FitzGerald for radiation therapy, considers himself lucky on two counts.
First, his treatments have not slowed him down substantially. He hasn't lost weight and doesn't feel sick afterwards. The only difference he notices is that sometimes he's slightly tired after receiving treatments.
He also considers himself lucky to have a cancer treatment center where he can find answers, no matter what time he has questions. "If I have a question, I get on the phone any time of the day or night, and there are people here," Lafleche said. "They gave me phone numbers, pamphlets, next procedures, so my treatment is not a mystery."
That's just the kind of service and support he'd expect from a facility that prides itself not only on its state-of-the-art equipment, but its welcoming, friendly atmosphere.
Geriatrics
"Doctor is a Breath of Fresh Air."
Dear Sir or Madam,
I want to let you know how pleased I am to have Dr. Peter Scuccimarri as my father's new primary care physician at your Dudley facility. We met him on April 27, 2010 for the first time and were so pleasantly surprised with his unhurried manner, knowledge in answering all our questions, and awareness of current information regarding the care of the elderly.
What a breath of fresh air to have a doctor review my father's medication list and say that he would like to get him off some of them! I could hardly believe my ears that we finally had a doctor that was more than a pusher of pills. Dad has, on numerous occasions throughout the years, been ostracized for being "uncooperative" or "noncompliant" because he did not want to fill every prescription that a doctor wrote when, in fact, he was using his own best judgment based on our research of the situation.
Dr. Scuccimarri was patient with my Dad's hearing difficulty and patient with all my questions. What a job!
Thank you, thank you for finding him here in the Midwest and bringing him to the Harrington Group.
Sincerely,
Betsy Dietz
Rockford, Ill.
Daughter of Richard M. Weed of Woodstock, Conn.
Emergency Care Center (Harrington HealthCare at Hubbard)
"I Won't Hesitate to Go Back."
Stephanie Sterritt, Oxford
Oxford resident Stephanie Sterritt was accustomed to driving to Worcester, some 25 minutes away, when 6-year-old daughter Abigail MacKay needed pediatric care. She was also accustomed to waiting a very long time in the emergency room. But when Abigail recently ruptured an ear drum, she was anxious and hoped to get immediate medical attention. She and her husband took Abigail to Harrington HealthCare at Hubbard in Webster, just five minutes from her home.
Within a couple of minutes, Abigail was checked in and seen by a nurse. Shortly after, Dr. Kathy Finn met with the family, evaluated Abigail, diagnosed her condition, wrote a prescription, comforted the family, and sent them on their way.
"My daughter was so scared, but Dr. Finn was so gentle and sweet; her personality is perfect for the work she does," says Stephanie, who thinks it's an understatement to say they were completely satisfied.
"My first pleasant surprise was that we were in and out in 40 minutes tops," says Stephanie.
The next day, Stephanie was surprised again: "Dr. Finn called us to check in about how Abigail slept and how she was feeling. I've never had anyone from the ER follow up with us directly," says Stephanie. "I told her that Abigail was responding to the medication and was doing just fine."
"It's wonderful to know that such good care is available so close to home. I certainly won't hesitate to go back."
General Surgery
"Such a Quick Recovery Time!"
Cheryl Ethier, Southbridge
Immediately after her laparoscopic surgery at Harrington Hospital, Cheryl Ethier had to keep reminding herself not to do too much too quickly. The incisions were so tiny, and the healing process was so rapid that she sometimes forgot she'd been operated on only a few days earlier.
"I had such a quick recovery time," said Ethier, 45, a resident of Southbridge. "It was a wonderful surgery. It went very smoothly. I have children and grandchildren at home that I take care of, and this surgery was so good and the recovery time so quick that I had to watch myself and remind myself not to lift too much too soon."
Ethier's surgery, performed by John Lohlun, M.D., assisted by Eric Koch, M.D., both general surgeons on staff, was the first laparoscopic splenectomy performed at Harrington Hospital. That means that the spleen was removed with a minimum of cutting and a minimum of blood loss. The end result for the less invasive laparoscopic procedure: greater patient safety and a faster recovery time.
"I bounced back so quickly," Ethier said. "I was taking care of my children and grandchildren within days. Dr. Lohlun did a great job."
"The surgery, for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, involved only several small incisions, the longest incision measuring 3.5cm [1 ½ inches], most of the other incisions measuring 5mm [3/16th of an inch]," said Dr. Lohlun. "One major advantage of this type of surgery is the minimal blood loss - less than 50 milliliters, in this case. Regular surgery means the patient can lose up to several hundred milliliters of blood and has to stay in the hospital several days." Dr. Lohlun played it safe and kept Cheryl Ethier in the hospital for two days after her surgery, but she could have been discharged the day after surgery, he said.
Dr. Lohlun came to Harrington last summer as a member of Harrington Physician Services, the employed physician group at the hospital. His specialty interests are advanced minimally invasive surgery and surgical oncology. He did his residency in general surgery at New York Methodist Hospital/Cornell Medical Center and a fellowship in surgical critical care/liver transplant surgery at New York Medical College. Dr. Lohlun received The Most Outstanding Surgical Resident in the Department of Surgery Award at New York Methodist Hospital in 2004. He is also a past physician liaison for the Commission on Cancer, American College of Surgeons and American Cancer Society, and is a peer-elected member of the American Hepatopancreaticobiliary Association, after having performed the first major liver resection for liver cancer, and reintroducing major pancreatic surgery at a Connecticut hospital where he had worked. His contribution to modern surgery include several publications in the subject in major surgical journals and poster presentations at national surgical conferences.
Urogynecology
"I regained my control and my confidence."
Virginia Smith, West Boylston
Virginia Smith, a 67-year-old retired accountant from West Boylston, describes herself as a very positive person. But after 15 years of suffering with urinary incontinence, she was at her "wit's end" because nothing she tried had helped. Urologists had prescribed medication that didn't work and produced unpleasant side-effects, and rehabilitation exercises were also ineffective.
Meanwhile, her problem got worse. She experienced severe bladder spasms and typically needed to run to the bathroom up to 20 times every day. "I had leakage incidents triggered just by basic movements," says Virginia. "It was getting unbearable."
Then her primary care physician referred her to Dr. C. Scott Koenig, Board Certified in Gynecology, a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and a member of Harrington Physician Services.
Dr. Koenig performed a complex Urodynamic evaluation and determined that Virginia was a good candidate for state-of-the-art Interstim therapy, a two-stage, minimally invasive process.
Stage One involved the insertion of a small wire electrode. After a painless procedure at the hospital in the morning, Virginia went home two hours later with a temporary external battery monitor that allowed her to regulate her bladder through electronic pulses.
"The improvement was immediate and incredible," says Virginia. "I was ecstatic."
Three weeks later was Stage Two, in which the battery was installed permanently. The results? Continued improvement and no after-effects. "It's like night and day," says Virginia. "Dr. Koenig helped me regain my control and my confidence. The difference is that, unlike other doctors, he specializes in urogynecology and understands issues unique to women. He is extremely thorough and understanding."
She continues, "I didn't want to talk about my problem before, and I know many women feel the same way. But women shouldn't have to suffer in silence. It's important for me to tell my story so that other women will know that help is available."
Ophthalmology
"Every surgery you perform is a miracle!"
Dear Doctor Cooper,
‘Tis said that words cannot express - but I am gonna try anyway! Since the second grade, when I was given my first pair of glasses, I have been extremely near sighted. Your surgery for my cataracts corrected this. Now I have wonderful vision for long distances.
I want to thank you for your skill and experience, along with the Ministering Angels on your operating team as well. Please thank the staff of the Ambulatory unit. The entire experience was a good one for me!
I am truly blessed to be living in an age when cataract surgery is so technologically possible! I remember by granddad, his week in the hospital and the aftermath at home. My experience with you was certainly different from that.
Do not doubt that every surgery you perform is a miracle! Certainly Harrington Hospital gets high marks. Thank you again Doctor Cooper. With every last page of every book I read you and your staff will be in my gratitude!
Sincerely,
MJ Parquet
Webster