Editor:

We wanted to write a letter and remind the residents of Evanston and the surrounding area how very lucky we are to have a quality facility and first class medical personnel available to us at Evanston Regional Hospital.

Our son, Jared Jackson, was seriously injured on June 23 while on a job in Washington State. He lives in Tempe, Arizona, with his young family. We didn’t know the extent of his injuries and had his children with us here in Evanston, so we just wanted to get him home so we could help. I picked him up at the Salt Lake City Airport, and Dr. Doug Hiller and his staff were amazing and offered to stay late and see us. 

After Dr. Hiller looked at the X-rays, he knew immediately we weren’t dealing with just a broken ankle. He immediately ordered a CAT scan and scheduled surgery for the following day. The radiology department also made arrangements to do a “late” CAT scan for us. 

The next day we arrived at the hospital for surgery on Jared’s right leg and ankle. After review of the CAT scans and consultation with hospital staff, it was decided that the break(s) were too serious to be able to fix at that time, and an external fix was placed on his leg. 

Two weeks later, after the swelling had gone down enough and the fracture blisters had healed, Dr. Jesse Riley and Dr. Micah Pullins performed a nine-hour surgery to repair Jared’s horribly broken leg and ankle. 

Throughout the surgery, both of the doctors, the anesthesiologists and the operating room staff kept us fully informed on what was happening during this very long day. 

Jared now has four plates, numerous screws and some very nasty scars as a constant reminder of the 20-plus broken bones in his ankle and tibia. He has a long and painful road to recovery, but we are confident it will be successful due to the excellent care he received at Evanston Regional Hospital. 

From the very beginning, the physicians and hospital staff instilled in us a confidence and assurance that they could handle this very severe traumatic injury. We have many options living here in the Intermountain West, with Park City a short drive away, and huge medical facilities in the Salt Lake Valley. We have had many, many people surprised that we chose to stay here in our “little hometown.” We do not regret it for one minute; we could not have received better care anywhere. 

Jared’s follow up in Phoenix, Arizona, is going well, and the doctors there couldn’t agree with me more. They too have stated that the extensive surgeries and excellent care that Jared received here have aided him immensely in his recovery process. 

We can’t begin to thank the Evanston Regional Hospital staff enough, Evanston Foot & Ankle, Dr. Jesse Riley, Uinta Medial Group-Arrowhead Bone and Joint Surgery, Dr. Doug Hiller and Dr. Micah Pullins and the many staff members and departments at the hospital that made a very scary situation tolerable for us. We did not have one bad experience from beginning to end. 

Bill and Marilee Jackson

Evanston