Mike Nagowski, CEO of Cape Fear Valley Health System, told The Fayetteville Observer a recent medical emergency that landed him on the patient side of business was "humbling."
On Oct. 12, 2019, Mr. Nagowski suffered a cranial cerebral hemorrhage, forcing him to take medical leave until Dec. 23. Of his 72-day medical leave, he spent 55 days at WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, N.C. While Mr. Nagowski was initially diagnosed at Fayetteville, N.C.-based Cape Fear, there wasn't a neurosurgeon on staff at the time who could provide the needed surgery.
"I would have fought tooth and nail for the surgery here," Mr. Nagowski said about his hospital. "But if I would have waited another 24 hours, we would not be talking."
Of his medical leave and recovery, Mr. Nagowski told The Fayetteville Observer he is "grateful for the experience from a patient's side. This can happen to anybody. What we say and what we do always has been important to me. It has deepened my belief that what we do here is all about the patient."
Read the full report here.
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