On April 6, 24-year-old Patrick Dalton and his wife Bailey, 23, should have been celebrating their first wedding anniversary. Instead, Patrick fought for his life in an East Tennessee hospital bed. Meanwhile, Bailey was quarantined in the Knoxville home they share with Patrick’s parents, Felicia and Tony, and his younger brother Alex. Everyone in the…
Plexiglass face shields separate shoppers and cashiers, face masks conceal smiles, and video conferencing calls have replaced evenings with friends. But despite the many ways that COVID-19 has altered our landscape and routines in recent weeks, I’m inspired by the manner in which Rutherford County residents have demonstrated consistent resilience, grace, and compassion for their…
Emergency Department (ED) staff at Ascension Saint Thomas facilities are sending love to another group of frontline heroes this week. Across Ascension Saint Thomas, ED associates want their EMS colleagues to feel celebrated during National EMS Week, which runs from May 17 through 23. Over the next few days, Ascension Saint Thomas facilities are treating…
Jean Joseph and his mom Marie Joseph are two different types of front line heroes at Ascension Saint Thomas West. Jean is an RN and Marie is a hospital cafeteria worker who sacrificed her nursing career back home in Haiti when she immigrated to the United States as a widow while her children were still…
Ascension Saint Thomas announced plans to begin a phased, measured and clinically led process to resume surgeries for certain elective, non-urgent and medically necessary procedures at its sites of care across Middle Tennessee in accordance with Governor Lee’s recent direction to ease social distancing restrictions. Effective May 4, the health system will gradually reintroduce the…
“For twelve straight days, I had a high fever and difficulty breathing, as well as extreme anxiety and terrible nightmares caused by the lack of oxygen. I thought I would die. I am 61 years old and this was the worst pain I’ve experienced in my entire life,” says Mike Carlton, Manager of Emergency Medical…
Craving some uplifting news? Scroll through the roundup below to learn how Middle Tennesseans of all backgrounds are spreading positivity during this pandemic. Amy Lee, an art teacher at Nashville’s St. Edwards School, is continuing to engage with her students virtually. As part of one recent homework assignment, Amy encouraged students to design cards for…
Soon after Jess Harmon crossed the stage at her 2003 high school graduation, the plucky Franklin County native joined the United States Navy. Her decision was inspired by the sobering events of September 11, 2001, as well as the recent death of her mother. The new grad’s journey began with boot camp and training as…
Ascension Saint Thomas is transforming healthcare and expanding access in Middle Tennessee with the proposed construction of the State of Tennessee’s first neighborhood hospital, located in Murfreesboro, near the Westlawn community by Veteran’s Parkway and Shores Road. If approved by the Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency (HSDA), the neighborhood hospital, to be known as…
Aquinas College on the Dominican Campus has graciously opened its doors to Ascension Saint Thomas caregivers in need of a short-term place to live during this pandemic. As media has reported globally, many healthcare workers serving Covid-positive patients are afraid to go home after their shifts. Some associates have closed off rooms in their houses…