Door County Medical Center is an award-winning hospital based on strict perimeters. However, statistics and facts only sketch a partial image of DCMC’s expert care. What’s most important is you, the patient—your outcome and your satisfaction. Here’s a story from Amy and Joshua of Door County.
Amy, Joshua and Daphne
After deciding to start a family, Amy and Joshua moved to Door County in 2018 following nearly two decades of life in Chicago. When Amy became pregnant the couple decided to have her daughter Daphne at DCMC’s Birthing Center. Initially, Amy and Joshua decided on DCMC because of the hospital’s close proximity to their home. “You know, we didn’t really have expectations,” Amy says, “we knew we were in a smaller community, and we chose Door County Medical Center for location and convenience—it’s our local hospital—but, we just didn’t expect the level of personal care that we received. We were so blown away by the service we received.” Joshua adds, “We were really impressed with the facilities. We’ve had other friends that have had children at Door County Medical Center and have had nothing but great things to say. So, why drive all the way to Green Bay when you can get great care right here in Door County.”
Perhaps, what impressed Amy and Joshua most was the personal touch that DCMC could offer and the relationships that they were able to develop with the hospital staff. “Living in the city,” Amy notes, “I generally went to specialists when I needed care. As a result, I didn’t get that personal level—I was seeing different people all the time. You end up feeling like a number, and the wait times are incredible.” In Joshua’s opinion, what made their experience at DCMC special was “seeing the same faces day in and day out, and having the same, core group of staff attending to us. So, it wasn’t a new face walking in the door every time that something needed to happen. Building those relationships was really fantastic.” Amy adds, “We were even lucky enough to have the same night nurse when we were there for Daphne’s birth—the same night nurse three nights in a row—and that consistency was really important.”
Earlier this year, Amy and Joshua’s daughter Daphne was born, and the relationships that developed between the couple and the DCMC staff during Amy’s pregnancy continued. “Those relationships start at the door when the volunteers greet you” Amy points out, adding, “I’ve gotten to know everyone at reception through all of my care, and frankly, it’s been really exciting to bring Daphne back to the hospital and show her off. Because of the pandemic, and family members living far away, not everyone in my family got to see me throughout the course of my pregnancy. So, I felt this connection with everybody that worked at DCMC, who really got to see the whole process of the pregnancy. And then, when I returned after Daphne was born, they were just as excited to see Daphne as I was to say, ‘Look at my baby!’” And, Amy remarks that the care at DCMC didn’t end after Daphne was born. “It’s been constant support since then,” she says, adding that “care didn’t extend only to follow-up appointments, but also to lactation consulting, which was hugely supportive for us in getting Daphne back up to her birth weight. It’s been great for my mental wellbeing, knowing that as first time parents we’re on the right track.”