On Oct. 23, 2014, NYPD Officer Kenneth Healey was attacked by a hatchet-wielding man on Jamaica Ave. on 162nd St. in Queens by Zale Thompson.
After his fellow officers shot the would-be terrorist, who was reported to have acted alone according to the Daily News, they saw the rookie bleed and fall unconscious not knowing if he would make it.
Healey was quickly sent to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for care. It was there that he received treatment for his traumatic brain injury after his skull was cracked open. A little over a year later Healey went back to work.
While already a Level One Trauma Center, and the only one in south Queens, Jamaica Hospital was officially verified by trauma experts from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) at 11 a.m. today for its amazing work.
Trauma Medical Director, Geoffrey Doughlin, had this to say at the ceremony:
Trauma care is also family care. In a perfect world no one would get sick, text while driving or respond to conflict with violence… but we don’t live in a perfect world so we must be prepared to accept everyone that goes through the door. In 2014, we were able to help Officer Healey and then thank him for his service.
Doughlin went on to say that the designation for Jamaica Hospital will last for the next three years.
When they come back for they will be more stringent. We want to maintain what we accomplished. Critical areas are trauma research and community education. The specialists that we have, the neurosurgeons, the anesthesiologist, the blood bank all need to be maintained.
One of the problems that we have for trauma is that there is very poor funding for it nationwide. We need support from the administration because there is staff that is here 24/7. It’s expensive, but the community needs it.
If you look at the history of the hospitals in Queens you will find multiple closures. We are one of the many hospitals that remain. Recently, Mary Immaculate closed, so without that trauma center someone has to be willing to pick up the slack. We have a vital role in the health and well being of the residents of Queens.
Trauma Program Manager Beverly Brown couldn’t agree more.
We need to continue to make sure that we provide the care that the community needs because of everything going around the community. We want them to know that we are always going to give them the best care that they need. I want them to say ‘I went to Jamaica Hospital and I got the care I need.”
Trauma is what we do. Trauma is in our DNA. We live and breathe trauma. We were designated already, but to be verified by ACS and have them say that we meet the 300 standards necessary to be a Trauma One Center without deficiency speaks to our standards. This puts us out there and says they are doing the right thing.
Personally this is a huge accomplishment. I oversee the program hand in hand with Dr. Doughlin and to have this is amazing.
Brown also elaborated on Jamaica Hospital’s process on treating patients.
In medicine, you must use a holistic approach. You have to involve the family whatever you are doing. When a family member gets hurt, it’s not just that one person that is hurting, the entire family is hurting. You have to look at it as like ‘is the family happy, am I meeting their needs.'”
One person that is truly happy with Jamaica Hospital’s care is Officer Healey who is alive and well.
