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CRITICAL CARE FOR KIDS IN COUNTY GETS PUSH A cookout in memory of a little girl promotes awareness, and a petition drive is under way. By Austin Bogues SPRING HILL - Rescue workers are sometimes haunted by incidents - ones that replay in their mind over and over.
For Troy Hagar, it's the memory of a crash 12 years ago on County Line Road in which five teenagers were killed. One girl was flown to a Tampa hospital, where she later died.
Time is critical when making rescues, and nothing is more stressful than getting a call that a child is in danger, Hagar said. So the Spring Hill firefighter was eager to support the idea of a pediatric intensive care unit in Hernando County.
"So often we take kids to the hospital locally where we know they're going to have to go somewhere else for treatment." Hagar said. "It would really help if there were somewhere closer."
Community members gathered Saturday at Delta Woods Park to promote awareness and generate support for a pediatric critical care unit in the county. The cookout was in memory of Rachael Jobmann, a 7-month-old who died in July 2005 because, her parents believe, she didn't receive proper care in time.
The push, which includes a petition drive, marks a turning point in the way medical care is thought of in Hernando County as the area moves from a population of retired people to one blossoming with young families.
County Commissioner Diane Rowden is scheduled to meet today with Jason Roeback, the chief executive officer of Spring Hill Regional Hospital, to discuss the possibility of a pediatric unit in Hernando. On Thursday, she and the Jobmanns will meet with officials at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa and All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.
Robert and Christy Jobmann took their daughter to Spring Hill Regional the evening of July 4, 2005, because she was suffering from what they thought was congestion. Eleven hours later, she was dead. Rachael had been flown to St. Joseph's, but she had died by the time her parents arrived. An autopsy later revealed she had an enlarged heart. The couple is suing Spring Hill Regional for medical malpractice.
Christy, 31, believes to this day that her daughter would be alive if a unit with pediatric specialists had been available closer to home. She admits that "what if" questions run through her mind constantly. They spring up on days like Saturday, as children galloped by with their faces painted, holding hot dogs and bags of popcorn.
"Any time you see a child that's about her age you think about what she would be like now," she said.
The couple's son, Robby, 5, has few memories of his sister, except for recalling that when he would hop off of his bed onto his bean bag, she would giggle at him. The entire family is in counseling to deal with their loss.
At their Web site, ourbaby riafoundation.org, they encourage others to share testimonials about their medical emergencies with children.
"Everywhere we go, people tell us about problems they've had finding adequate care," Christy said.
Also at the park Saturday afternoon were Edmond and Tammy Mintah, who had a scare last year when their 3-year-old son, Nathan, was extremely thirsty and making frequent trips to the bathroom, showing classic symptoms of Type I diabetes.
The couple drove Nathan to Spring Hill Regional; he was later transferred to All Children's in St. Petersburg by ambulance.
"At one point in time, his blood sugar reached close to 1,000," Edmond said.
Edmond, 34, and Tammy, 32, both shudder when they think about what could have been.
"We would have more peace of mind if there was a pediatric center nearby," Edmond said.
Rowden is hoping to get the dialogue rolling with community leaders to find out how a pediatric intensive care unit could become a reality in Hernando. She is sympathetic to the situation because it hits home. She lost her 11-year-old son in 1993 after a pool accident.
Roeback, the CEO at Spring Hill Regional, said last week that he is receptive to the idea of a pediatric care unit, but cautioned that getting one would not be easy.
"You need certain physicians with certain specialties," he said. "And even then, you have to have enough to provide 24/7 coverage."
Roeback also said a major concern was whether a unit would be used enough to maintain staff competency.
"A unit that sees 250 cases in a year will operate at a different competency level than one that sees 25," he said.
He would not discuss how much money such a unit would cost.
Some worry that it often takes something drastic to spur action.
"A lot of times it takes a few accidents for this to happen," said Scott Scurlock, who teaches paramedics at Pasco-Hernando Community College. "It's a shame for someone to have to die for something to get done."
