Son’s care was lifesaving Mother tells how SRMC was right place for son when he needed treatment for pancreatitis

Wendy Jordan never imagined her son, Eric Jordan, would find himself fighting for his life at age 32. But when severe pancreatitis with complications placed him in the care of professionals at Southeastern Regional Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit in May, Wendy knew he was in the right place.

“People kept telling me I should transfer him out but I knew this was where he needed to be,” said Wendy, who lives in Pembroke.

Intensivist Dr. Navin Bajaj met with Wendy early on during her son’s hospitalization to discuss his plan of care. He assured Wendy that SRMC’s ICU was well-equipped in regards to equipment and medical expertise to give her son the care he needed.

“Eric’s condition, with all the complications suffered, had a less than 20 percent chance of living,” said Dr. Bajaj. “We were able to provide appropriate care and expertise at Southeastern which assisted Eric to overcome this difficult situation leading to a positive outcome. Support was readily available from different areas including other specialties, experienced nursing/ancillary staff and Eric’s family. Without this great team approach, it would not have been possible.”

Eric was hospitalized at SRMC for 32 days, during which he underwent a number of surgical procedures performed by Dr. Roberto Arias of Southeastern Surgical Center. He has made a full recovery and continues to rebuild his physical strength as well as his speaking voice through ongoing rehabilitation and therapy.

“I keep reminding people that SRMC is not the hospital it was 30 years ago,” said Wendy. “From the day we entered the emergency room to the day we left, everything was what it needed to be. The nurses were fantastic at what they did and the doctors were very skilled. Everyone who cared for my son are all equally appreciated.”

SRMC’s ICU physicians, known as intensivists, are dedicated to the care of critical patients and are experts in conditions and medical issues that are commonly found in an intensive care setting. Years ago, physicians would round throughout hospitals, requiring them to have knowledge of many different specialties. Having intensivists in the ICU enables them to be experts in one focus area, be comfortable with the unit staff, and be fully knowledgeable of the resources available to them to provide exceptional care to the medical center’s most critical patients.

“I would like to thank Southeastern for all their hard work and dedication,” Eric said. “They went above and beyond.”