Patti and Steve Andras
Let me start out by letting you know who I am, why I am doing this column, and what I am writing about. I am Steve Andras, and my late wife Patti Andras was a Councilor-at-large. I am writing this column on Noble Hospital because Patti’s last article was going to be about Noble, and I want to share my experience about the care that she received there. First let me say that Patti believed in all of Westfield’s assets and what our city has to offer–good, bad or indifferent–and Noble is one asset that she really did believe in. She trusted that she would receive the best care possible at Noble. When she was admitted, the doctors and staff at Noble and her doctors in Boston were working together to get her medically-assisted nourishment, as the treatments she had for her cancer had gradually started to shut her body down. It was those complications that ultimately took her life. The care that she received at Noble was top notch and the staff did everything (and even a little more) to provide what I believe was just as good–if not better–than what she would have received somewhere else. OK, some of you are thinking, “Noble?” Let me say, “Yes, Noble!” The care and consideration displayed to my family and me was absolutely outstanding.
The original Noble Hospital was opened in 1897 with just 20 beds and eight physicians and lasted until the current Noble Hospital was completed in 1958 at the same location. Currently there are 97 licensed beds and the average length of stay is 5.7 days. There are approximately 130 nurses, 267 physicians, and 612 total employees that work at Noble. The Emergency Department sees around 30,000 patients each year, and over 100,000 outpatients visit Noble for doctor’s appointments and tests. Over 3,000 patients are admitted each year and Noble’s revenue is over $130,000,000. Here are just a few of the services that are offered at Noble: the Bronson Rehabilitation Unit, Burk Women’s Center, Cardiac Center, Diagnostic Imaging/X-ray, Oncology Program, and many of the services you would normally find at any hospital. For a small community hospital, they have a lot to offer.
I would like to make one point for Westfield and surrounding communities: if we didn’t have Noble, you would have a fairly long ride to one of the other hospitals in the area. Noble being here in Westfield just might make the difference.
I would like to thank Patrick Berry for allowing me to write this column on behalf of Patti. And I would also like to thank all of Patti’s supporters over the years. Your support for her and what she tried and accomplished is what drove her to try and make a difference in Westfield and all that she tried to do. And finally to Noble Hospital and staff – thank you for the excellent care given to Patti and to all our friends (I won’t list them all as they know who they are) – I will be forever grateful for your support for me and our families.
Steve Andras
