There is a big difference between trying to save the lives of Navy sailors and Marines wounded in battle and trying to solve the health issues of patients at a civilian hospital in Texas.
But Dr. Carlos Rodriguez, who retired from the Navy in 2018 after 24 years of service to become Director of Emergency General Surgery at JPS Health Network, said he has found both career paths can be equally rewarding.
It’s never too early to think about the holiday season – especially when it comes to blood donations.
JPS Health Network on Monday, October 14 will hold a blood drive with an eye on the rapidly-approaching winter holidays.
“This is a time of year when we’re trying to plan ahead,” said Alison Kelly, Transfusion Safety Program Coordinator at JPS. “During the holidays, people will be traveling, so giving blood isn’t going to be on their mind. Donors might not be available at a time when demand is at its peak. So, we have to be prepared for things like that.”
When Joyce Pierce came to JPS Health Network, a serious hernia was taking away her life bit by bit.
A bowling ball-sized protrusion of her intestines through her abdominal wall made it difficult, if not impossible, to perform even the everyday tasks many of us take for granted.
“I could barely roll over in bed, much less get any exercise,” Pierce said. “I couldn’t even hold my grandbaby. It was really difficult to do much of anything at all.”
It’s no surprise that one of the most effective ways to improve the health of a person who is homeless is to find them a home.
Getting them out of the elements isn’t the only way finding a permanent place to live benefits people who have been surviving on the streets. According to Joel Hunt, Director of Care Connections at JPS, it also creates a stable environment where they more consistently take prescribed medication and make sure to keep healthcare appointments.