Emergency Department Handles Retired Sergeant With Care

A retired Chillicothe Police Department sergeant, John Valbracht enjoys restoring old vehicles. But when John, 70, was alone working on an old trailer, a routine task turned dangerous.  

"It was a nice day, and my goal was to put a new tongue and fuel tank on this trailer, but when the tongue broke off in my hand, it changed my plans," John says.  

John was unloading an old trailer he’d hauled home on another trailer when the weight shifted unexpectedly at the top of the ramp.  

The sudden pressure caused the weakened tongue to snap loose while John was holding it, leaving him with two deep gashes in his left hand. He was able to stop the bleeding, but realized his injury was serious and he needed to get to Hedrick Medical Center's Emergency Department.  

John texted his wife, Kim, about the situation and she rushed from work to meet him there.

“By the time I got there, they already had him back, but the receptionist recognized me and took me straight to him because she knew I was worried—that’s the personal level of care that we get in our own community,” Kim says.

Board-certified physician Stephen Terrill, MD, asked John to move his fingers, and Kim watched her husband's tendons—visible due to the severity of the cuts—shift.

“Dr. Terrill rinsed out the rust and debris from the wounds, stitched me up—eight stiches on my hand and 10 across my wrist—and referred me to a hand specialist at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City to make sure everything was OK,” John says.

When John and Kim went to Saint Luke’s Hospital the next day, the hand specialist gave his stitches a careful inspection to confirm everything looked good.

“The specialist said it looked so great, he wasn't going to touch it," John says. "The Emergency Department did such a good job.”  

Although the Emergency Department was packed that day, Kim says the nurses’ communication made all the difference.

“It was busy, and Dr. Terrill was too, but the nurses kept us completely informed. From the receptionist to the nurses, everyone was absolutely fantastic,” Kim says.

During his tenure at the police department, John visited Hedrick’s Emergency Department two or three times for minor injuries sustained in the line of duty. He says he sees it as vital resource to the community. 

“Anytime I have been to the Emergency Department, the staff has gone above and beyond," John says. "I think a lot of people would not make it if it wasn't for local hospitals, and it’s imperative to have this care close by in the rural towns.”

Two weeks after the incident, John’s stitches were removed, his hand is now fully healed, and he is back to doing what he loves: restoring old trailers and vehicles.

“My son recently bought a couple of classic cars, and we're tinkering around with things to get them up and running,” John says.  

Backed by Saint Luke’s, Hedrick Medical Center and Wright Memorial Hospital are staffed 24/7 with emergency care experts. Our board-certified physicians deliver lifesaving treatments with an unwavering dedication to excellent patient care. Our Emergency Departments are designated as Level III Stroke and STEMI Centers.

If you or a loved one experience a heart attack, stroke, accident, or medical condition that requires immediate attention, our 24-hour Emergency Departments are here when you need them most. For more information about Emergency Department services at Hedrick Medical Center or Wright Memorial Hospital, visit saintlukeskc.org/HMCER and saintlukeskc.org/WMHER.