Happy Hospital Week! We are excited to celebrate this year by highlighting valuable members of our hospital teams that keep things running smoothly for our patients. Robert Scott Hamel, a nighttime security professional at Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital, is one such individual. In his role, he is responsible for always ensuring the safety of patients and hospital staff. He was recently recognized by the hospital’s Mission Matters program for a particular time he went above and beyond in his role.
While on duty in the early morning hours one day last December, Robert observed a man frantically banging on the hospital’s main entrance door. Robert quickly learned that the man’s wife was far along in labor in their car and needed immediate medical attention. Knowing the couple would get faster help by presenting in the emergency department (ED), Robert instructed the gentleman to drive to the ED entrance.
“I knew that they were going to need medical help and I didn’t want to risk endangering the mother and child,” Robert shares.
While the couple drove around the hospital, he alerted the emergency medicine team as well as the labor and delivery team to meet the patient at the ED.
Once Robert arrived at the ED entrance, he saw that the man’s wife was actively giving birth in the car and the medical teams had not yet arrived. Robert sprang into action as the woman proceeded to give birth in the car by catching the baby and handing the baby to the husband. He also instructed him to stay close as the placenta was still attached. Robert then wheeled the woman who was carrying her newborn into the triage room where ED staff took over.
But the story doesn’t end there. Remembering that the family’s car was still running outside of the ED, Robert went to assess the situation.
“I knew that if it was my situation, I would rather stay with my wife and child rather than worry about my car and the mess,” Robert shares. “So, I wanted to make sure the father had peace of mind that his car was safe and that the mother had peace of mind that her belongings were with her, and they didn’t have to worry about theft or tampering.”
So, he grabbed some sanitizing wipes and got to work cleaning out as much of the remaining blood as possible. Then, he parked the car in a safe spot, retrieved the mother’s purse and made sure to deliver the couple’s car keys to them.
“I just wanted them to have one less thing to worry about,” he adds.
Robert truly exemplifies our ministry’s mission of providing good help to those in need. He did everything in his power to ensure the health and safety of both the mother and the baby. Job well done, Robert!
Learn about the health care services we offer at Bon Secours.
