Sixty-seven-year-old Ronald Waddle, a retiree from Greenville, Texas, enjoys attending his church group and taking short walks.

Ronald, who has a family history of heart disease, recently underwent triple bypass surgery. After the surgery, Ronald was on a ventilator and bedridden. His doctor referred him to Mesquite Specialty Hospital (MSH) for continued long-term critical care. The hospital is nationally certified in Respiratory Failure by The Joint Commission, utilizing best practices and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for its patients.

Over the course of a month at MSH, the medical team carefully weaned Ronald off the ventilator. He also began physical and occupational therapy treatments to help him regain strength. Ronald made tremendous progress and was transferred to Mesquite Rehabilitation Institute (MRI) for the next phase of his recovery involving specialized rehabilitative care.

At MRI, Ronald worked closely with the hospital’s interdisciplinary healthcare team, which developed a customized treatment plan for him that included physical, occupational, and respiratory therapies. Physical therapy was provided to rebuild strength and improve mobility, occupational therapy to regain independence with daily activities, and respiratory therapy to help with breathing issues.

After 19 days, Ronald regained mobility and strength. He learned to safely use a walking device, and now continues exercising to maintain his independence.