President's Circle Award - A Lifesaving Response

Each year, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC) recognizes Associates who have truly lived out our organization's C.H.A.N.G.E. Values through their exemplary actions. Our C.H.A.N.G.E. Values, which stand for Customer Satisfaction, Honor & Respect, Accountability, New Ideas, Growing Continuously, and Excellence, are values that each of our Associates commit to implementing in their actions and attitudes at PVHMC. We are proud to honor and share each of their stories.

"A Lifesaving Response"

Each morning and evening, John Jimenez, Director of PVHMC’s Biomedical Engineering Department, walks half a mile from the employee parking lot to the hospital and back. On a warm Thursday afternoon in July of 2017, his walk led him to the aid of a woman experiencing a medical emergency.

John was walking north on Orange Grove Avenue when he spotted a young woman in distress. As she held her abdomen and stumbled along the sidewalk, she attempted to get the attention of two passing bicyclists, to no avail.

John ran over to ask if she needed help, to which she replied, “Yes!” She said she was experiencing extreme abdominal pain, so he gently sat her down on the grass, called 9-1-1, and assured her that everything would be okay.

At this time, fellow Associate Michael Hodgson, Cardiac Services Data Analyst, was on his way home. As he drove by, he noticed John speaking to the woman, and then saw her being helped down to the ground. Michael knew something was seriously wrong and felt compelled to provide any aid he could. He quickly made a U-turn, pulled his car onto the curb, assessed the situation and ran to the nearest medical office building to get her some water.

By this time, the woman had begun to vomit. You may not expect someone with no clinical training to react productively in this situation. However, John comforted her and held her hair away from her face. He attributes his reaction to being well-trained by his two daughters, who would call for dad when they were feeling unwell. In fact, he refers to himself as “the vomit guy!”

As fate would have it, Michael Jimenez, MD, PVHMC’s Medical Director of Trauma Services, also happened to be driving by and pulled over to administer aid. He assessed her condition, kept her awake as she began to lose consciousness, and took command until emergency medical services arrived shortly thereafter.

When recalling the situation, John reflected that bystander involvement is “not easy, but we all need to set an example and inspire others to help.” He adds, “it was such a great response by everyone involved – what better place and what better people are there to help than those here at PVHMC?”

In our day-to-day lives, it can be all too easy to see an unfolding situation and assume another person will provide assistance, especially if you’re on your way home after a long day of work. By stopping, each of our three Associates demonstrated our C.H.A.N.G.E. Values of Excellence, Honor & Respect, and Accountability. They were courageous and selfless in helping save the life of a woman in extreme medical distress.