Michael Wartman said if there is one thing he has learned from his experience at Margaretville Hospital, it is that teamwork makes all the difference in a medical emergency.

“I can’t say enough about everyone who helped me,’’ said Wartman, 68 of Baltimore, MD. “From the exceptional healthcare team at Margaretville Hospital to the first responders who literally carried me across the field to the helicopter. I was very lucky.”

Wartman, who is an avid runner, was visiting his close friend in Margaretville on Columbus Day weekend when he went for a run. As he was running down a steep driveway, he suddenly felt dizzy and fainted. When he returned to his friend’s house, they took his blood pressure. It was so high that they immediately headed for the Emergency Department at Margaretville Hospital. 

Wartman said that after doctors stabilized him, an ambulance took him to a field where they airlifted him to HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston. There, doctors discovered that he had an arrythmia.

“My family has a history of heart disease, so I am glad that doctors were able to diagnose the problem,” said Wartman. He is now back home and is on medication, has returned to running, and says he feels healthier than ever.

“I’m very grateful,” he said. “I would urge anyone to donate to help the hospital. They certainly deserve it.”

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In an instant, unexpected health emergencies can happen and when they do, every minute counts. Just ask Jack Zamor. A local restaurateur and 16-year resident of Arkville, Jack juggled busy days and appreciated quiet nights. But one September evening in 2020 was far from quiet. Jack had severe abdominal pain and it would not pass. “It was agony and no matter what I did, there was no relief. Convinced my appendix would burst, I reluctantly texted a friend for help,”  he explained.

Jack soon arrived at the Margaretville Hospital Emergency Department where a CT scan revealed a diagnosis much more urgent than appendicitis. Jack was suffering from an abdominal aortic aneurysm. A rupture would likely be fatal. Arrangements were made for immediate air transport to a trauma center.

“Quick diagnosis and decision making saved my life,” recalls Jack. “I remember wheeling from the hospital onto the ambulance. We then traveled to a field behind the supermarket, which was lit by headlights, to an awaiting medevac helicopter. It took a few minutes, but it seemed like forever.”

Today, Jack is fully recovered and remains extraordinarily grateful for the Margaretville Hospital clinical team – and for life-saving access to trauma-level air transport.

Your support continues to make a difference throughout our community for patients like Jack. Together, we can continue raising the bar because we recognize that health challenges come without warning and for so many patients like Jack, minutes matter. 

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Thomas Maulik, 79, is grateful for the high-quality, patient-centered care he received at Margaretville Hospital after a bad fall in November of 2022.

After attending his great granddaughter’s birthday party, Tom, a lifelong Margaretville resident, came down with a mild illness. He and Christine, his wife of 53 years, thought nothing of it until Tom fell in his home one evening. Too weak to stand, he was taken by ambulance to Margaretville Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network.

Over the next two and a half months, Tom underwent rehabilitation at the hospital, relearning how to stand and walk thanks to his twice-a-day rehab sessions and the dedicated nurses and support staff who encouraged his recovery. Christine also provided lots of TLC. Since the hospital is in their community, she could visit Tom every day.

“They gave my husband his life back,” says Christine. “We weren’t sure Tom would ever be home again, but thanks to the excellent care he received, we’re back there together, laughing all the time.”

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Michelle Sidrane is grateful that when emergencies arise, she and her neighbors have a hospital like Margaretville. The Fleischmanns resident and owner of the Breezy Hill Inn said that healthcare professionals at the Margaretville Hospital have twice saved her life. The first time was when she suffered a bee sting and went into anaphylactic shock, and the second time was more recently when she suffered a pulmonary embolism.

“Margaretville Hospital is a very important institution to the community,’’ she said. “It’s really critical for us to continue to have that service.’’

Michelle said that she had passed out in the shower and the fall caused her to break several bones in her foot. A physician’s assistant was able to administer medication to slow Michelle’s heart rate, and she was transferred to Westchester Medical Center for further treatment.

Michelle, who lives part time in New York City, said not only was Westchester Medical Center convenient but the care she received was stellar.

“I chose to go down to Westchester Medical Center because it was close to my doctors in the city. I was very well taken care of in the ambulance going down. The physician’s assistant in the ER was fabulous. He reached out to my cardiologist and his diagnosis was spot on. I’ve never seen an ER like that. I couldn’t get over all the monitors and all the people.’’

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Ella’s Story: Brent Truitt and Ella, a Labrador/Shepherd, Visit Seniors at Mountainside

For residents of the Mountainside Residential Care Center, part of Margaretville Hospital, 7-year-old Ella, a Labrador/Shepherd mix, has been a bright spot in their days. Brent Truitt, Ella’s owner and handler, has been paying visits to Mountainside since 2017, and even scheduled virtual visits during the pandemic when residents needed TLC most.

“They light up and smile whenever they see her,’’ said Brent. “When I started this five years ago, I had no idea how powerful these visits would be. When we returned after COVID, they cried they were so happy to see her.’’

In March, Ella reached a milestone, making 10,000 one-on-one visits with residents.

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