July 27, 2011
 

Monticello Teen Breathes Easier After His Care at St.Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital

LAFAYETTE, Ind. – In July 2009, Dylan Ferguson was driving a moped when he was hit by a car. Ferguson survived despite his heart stopping once at the scene of the accident, and twice in the air ambulance on the way to the hospital. As a result of the accident, he is now paralyzed from the neck down.

Although Ferguson’s physical condition has changed, he still remains the same social, fun-loving and positive person he has always been.

“He’s still Dylan,” said Paulette Ferguson, his mother. “He’s always got a way to make us laugh.”

Since the accident, Ferguson has been relying on a ventilator to breathe. He was told by doctors it would continually get harder to wean him off of the ventilator the longer he was dependent on it. Ferguson was referred to St.Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital, a long-term acute care facility, in Lafayette to work with respiratory therapists and nurses.

“Attitude is half the battle, and Dylan has a great one,” said Teri Larimore, respiratory clinical care coordinator. “He was able to wean well, and met his goal very quickly.”

Ferguson was expected to be in the hospital for six to eight weeks, but was discharged after three weeks.

When Ferguson left the long-term acute care hospital, he could breathe on his own for 14 hours a day, a first since the accident. Today, Ferguson can be off the ventilator for up to 17 consecutive hours and is continuing to make progress.

“The respiratory therapists at St.Vincent were a huge help in giving Dylan the confidence to keep pushing until he achieved his goal,” said his Paulette.

The respiratory therapists at St.Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital spend a significant amount of time with patients who are weaning off a ventilator. They recognize the special need for support throughout the process, and are dedicated to giving all the assistance and encouragement needed during this time of transition for the patient.

“Each person who comes to St.Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital is different, so the staff uses creative ways to challenge each patient to meet their specific needs,” said Larimore.

St.Vincent Seton Specialty hospital is a premier long-term acute care hospital dedicated to improving the quality of life for patients in their journey back to a good health condition. The facility offers specialized treatment programs and aggressive clinical and therapeutic intervention on a 24/7 basis. The faith-based ministry provides care for patients often critically ill that require more specialized treatment programs and intensive nursing intervention.

Services offered include ventilator management, complex infusion therapy, intensive respiratory therapy, complex wound care and infusion therapy. These types of services are offered for patients that are recovering from complicated strokes, renal failure, multi-system failure, pulmonary/medical rehabilitation, complex wounds and surgery and more.

St.Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital has been accredited by The Joint Commission, the nation’s premier healthcare accreditation entity that evaluates and accredits more than 19,000 health care organizations nationwide. The long-term acute care hospital also has an overall patient satisfaction percentile ranking in the 99th percentile.

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About St.Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital
St.Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital is a long-term acute care facility, with two convenient locations in Indianapolis and Lafayette. Both facilities serve medically complex inpatients who require extended hospital stays of 25 days or more. In Indianapolis, the location encompasses a 66,000-square-foot hospital with 74 beds. In Lafayette, the location includes 30 beds. Both locations offer quality services including respiratory therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, wound care and dietitian services. St.Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital is featured with modernized private rooms designed for specialized care for patients and families.

For more information contact:
Jen Dial
Public Relations
(317) 583-4031
jkdail@stvincent.org