BAKERSFIELD, CA -- Patricia McCallie doesn't believe she would be alive if it wasn't for the care she received at Kern Medical Center.
She says its financial mismanagement doesn't reflect on the doctors and staff who work there and believes it's important for the county to do everything it can to keep them here.
"Well, I don't think I'd be alive today if it hadn't been for them," said McCallie, who spoke from her home, wearing a neck brace she'll have to keep on for six more months.
On December 21, of last year, McCallie crashed on Highway 58 heading to Tehachapi. Her Toyota SUV rolled several times and landed in a ravine. The crash broke nearly every bone in her body.
"It was the trauma unit that cared for her, the internal medicine, and she had cardiac doctors," said her daughter Deborah Rendon.
"I know she would not be here if it wasn't for the care she received," said McCallie's sister Sharon Riley, who arrived at the hospital an hour after McCallie's accident.
"The doctors and the nurse in the trauma unit were so helpful. They just surrounded her and did what was absolutely necessary. They didn't waste time."
McCallie's family has seen the reports on KMC's financial woes and its budget problems. They wanted to speak out in support of KMC, which has the only trauma unit in Kern County.
"If we didn't have KMC, people like my mother or other serious car accidents might have to be transferred much further and may not have had a positive outcome as we've had," said Rendon.
"It's still all about somebody who's taking care of another person who's in need," said KMC's chief strategy officer Scott Thygerson.
"And that's the mission of what we do here everyday."
McCallie still goes in for care and said her former trauma doctors remember her by name and check in with her, even though she is no longer their patient.
"They took such good care of me and all the teams were there and they knew how to handle my situation," said McCallie.
She says its financial mismanagement doesn't reflect on the doctors and staff who work there and believes it's important for the county to do everything it can to keep them here.
"Well, I don't think I'd be alive today if it hadn't been for them," said McCallie, who spoke from her home, wearing a neck brace she'll have to keep on for six more months.
On December 21, of last year, McCallie crashed on Highway 58 heading to Tehachapi. Her Toyota SUV rolled several times and landed in a ravine. The crash broke nearly every bone in her body.
"It was the trauma unit that cared for her, the internal medicine, and she had cardiac doctors," said her daughter Deborah Rendon.
"I know she would not be here if it wasn't for the care she received," said McCallie's sister Sharon Riley, who arrived at the hospital an hour after McCallie's accident.
"The doctors and the nurse in the trauma unit were so helpful. They just surrounded her and did what was absolutely necessary. They didn't waste time."
McCallie's family has seen the reports on KMC's financial woes and its budget problems. They wanted to speak out in support of KMC, which has the only trauma unit in Kern County.
"If we didn't have KMC, people like my mother or other serious car accidents might have to be transferred much further and may not have had a positive outcome as we've had," said Rendon.
"It's still all about somebody who's taking care of another person who's in need," said KMC's chief strategy officer Scott Thygerson.
"And that's the mission of what we do here everyday."
McCallie still goes in for care and said her former trauma doctors remember her by name and check in with her, even though she is no longer their patient.
"They took such good care of me and all the teams were there and they knew how to handle my situation," said McCallie.