Patient Profile: Marisela Jimenez and Personalized Care
In the fall of 2021, Marisela Jimenez went to the doctor after experiencing significant pain in the right side of her abdomen. She wondered if it might be arthritis. The doctor ordered blood tests during the examination and when the results came back with a very elevated white blood cell count, Mrs. Jimenez was sent directly to the emergency room
It was in the ER where she had a CT scan that diagnosed a solid tumor. Mrs. Jimenez was admitted to the hospital immediately to relieve her pain and begin treatment. While in the hospital, she and her husband, Hector, met Dr. Srilata Gundala of Hope & Healing Care Center for the first time.
Mrs. Jimenez remembers the moment well, “I don’t like hospitals. I really don’t like hospitals. Dr. Gundala was one of the doctors we met. I liked her and even the name of her clinic – Hope & Healing. It felt more personal to me.” Mr. Jimenez agreed, “With Dr. Gundala’s demeanor and way of answering questions, we wanted to stay with her.” So, they did.
During her week at the hospital, Mrs. Jimenez received the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. Her treatment would involve numerous rounds of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and if those were successful, an eventual surgery. They were told that the treatment plan would take about two years to complete. Two years is a long time to spend in and out of hospitals when you do not like them.
Marisela and Hector have grown to value their time at Hope & Healing Care Center more and more. “In a hospital, you’re a number, not a patient. Here, we know everybody – the receptionist, the nurse, everybody,” says Mr. Jimenez. “It feels like family, to tell you the truth,” says Mrs. Jimenez.
That sense of comfort and familiarity is an important part of providing personalized care, which is foundational to the care philosophy of Dr. Srilata Gundala, hematologist/oncologist and founder of Hope & Healing Care Center in Hinsdale, Illinois, “I want all my patients to feel as comfortable as possible while they are in my care here,” she says. “Hospitals are an important and necessary resource for patient care, but the personal and independent care we can provide in a clinic setting like Hope & Healing shapes the treatment experience for all of my patients and their caregivers in a positive way.”
Mr. Jimenez detailed two such experiences of personalized care during his wife Marisela’s treatment. The first is more about him than his wife, the patient, but when care is personalized, the needs of family and caregivers are recognized as an important part of treatment. “I ask a ton of questions,” Mr. Jimenez said, “I am a biochemist. Dr. Gundala answered all my questions and she answered them with full explanations. She educated me while she answered them.”
The second example of personalized care Mr. Jimenez detailed was during a stressful period of his wife’s treatment when she was not feeling well, had a fever, and he grew increasingly worried, “Dr. Gundala had given me her direct number. I’ve only used it once and texted a couple of other times. She picked up right away, on a weekend. To know that I can call her in case of an emergency is a big comfort.”
Personalized care is just that, personal. It is treating cancer, but also acknowledges the person with cancer and their experiences. Sometimes personalized care is simple and other times it is complex. Mrs. Jimenez values the personal touch at Hope & Healing Care Center, “I walk through the door and everyone calls me by my first name. That is very important to me.”
The couple both feel at home at Hope & Healing Care Center and are grateful they made the choice to receive Marisela’s care from Dr. Gundala, “I’m just a spectator,” says Mr. Jimenez, “but in moments where you don’t know what is happening, they help you.”
Marisela’s cancer is responding well to treatment. After several rounds of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, she is preparing for an upcoming surgery to remove the tumor, “Dr. Gundala tells us that the tumor size is substantially reduced and is showing much less activity,” reports Mr. Jimenez. “I would recommend Hope & Healing. They treat you like family,” he says. “Yes,” adds Mrs. Jimenez, “They are the way to go.”
Written By: Sheila Quirke, MSW
Reviewed By: Srilata Gundala, MD
