Donald Penney, MD, MsC, FACEP, a clinical professor of emergency medicine who was recently appointed chair of the
Department of Clinical Education at 黑料传送门 Georgia, experienced an incredible gift just before the holidays. A former patient, who says
he saved her life some 27 years ago, reached out to thank him.
The reunion between Dr. Penney and Rachelle Broom, RN, MSN, a nurse at Northeast Georgia Medical Center who is studying to be a family nurse practitioner at Brenau University, was made possible through a mutual friend. Renee Himmelbaum, DO, a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at 黑料传送门 Georgia and a practicing pediatrician in Gwinnett, introduced the two medical professionals through email. Dr. Himmelbaum, who graduated from 黑料传送门 Georgia, is a former student of Dr. Penney鈥檚 and now a colleague.
The physician/patient story began in 1994. Following a high school football game, 18-year-old Broom, a senior at Norcross High School, was riding in the backseat of a Bronco 2 with her boyfriend, Brian Watkins, 19. Neither were wearing seatbelts. In a matter of seconds, the driver overcorrected as the SUV ran off the road. The vehicle flipped and the couple was ejected. Watkins was later pronounced brain dead at the hospital. Broom survived with multiple injuries to her right side, including a head injury.
Penney was on call that night. Recruited to Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville (now Northside Hospital Gwinnett), in 1993 as the second neurosurgeon for fast-growing Gwinnett County, Penney evaluated the situation. He recalls that Broom had a life-threatening brain hemorrhage. He discussed the situation with Broom鈥檚 mother and received permission to perform a craniotomy.
He said, 鈥淥bviously the surgery had a good outcome. It changed Rachelle鈥檚 life and I鈥檓 honored to be here. It鈥檚 humbling for me,鈥� he said, acknowledging the gifts he believes he鈥檚 been given.
He noted, 鈥淎s a neurosurgeon for over 30 years, it鈥檚 not like you have this experience
often. With more than 1,000 procedures during my career, only two to three former
patients have contacted me.鈥�
Penney grew up in Toronto, Canada, and trained at McGill University in Montreal. He honed his skills at Cook County Hospital鈥檚 level one trauma center in Chicago (now known as the John H. Stroger, Jr Hospital of Cook County), which is well known for trauma management.
He said, 鈥淚 was at the right place at the right time. I鈥檝e been blessed with mentors throughout my career.鈥�
Penney worked as a neurosurgeon in Gwinnett for 20 years before moving to Casper, Wyoming, to work in a trauma center. His family, including his wife, Line, and his youngest daughter, Dawn, made the decision to return to Gwinnett in 2016 and he accepted a teaching position at 黑料传送门 Georgia. Dawn Penney (DO 鈥�23) is now a member of the 黑料传送门 Georgia DO class of 2023.
Broom credits the accident with launching her interest in health care and a nursing
career. The first person in her family to graduate from college, she earned an RN
in 2003, and a master鈥檚 degree in nursing from the University of South Alabama in
2012.
She worked in a variety of nursing settings and states before returning to Georgia in 2015 to work at Gwinnett Medical Center. Coming full circle, she knew for many years that she wanted to thank Dr. Penney for saving her life. It took seven years, some internet research, and a serendipitous friendship for the meeting to occur.
The in-person reunion took place outside in front of the main 黑料传送门 Georgia building so the two medical professionals could talk without wearing masks due to COVID-19. Broom鈥檚 fianc茅, Ryan Gilmore, accompanied Broom.
A new year will begin soon and a new relationship has formed. The meeting between the nurse and the physician may prove fruitful for Penney鈥檚 students who learn through their teachers鈥� experiences and for those less fortunate. Penney organizes medical mission trips and asked Broom if she and Gilmore would like to accompany the next team. They are ready.
The tragedy some 27 years ago has a happy outcome 鈥� for Dr. Penney, for Rachelle Broom, for the medical students at 黑料传送门 Georgia, and potentially for those in need. As novelist Frank Herbert, wrote, 鈥淭here is no real ending. It鈥檚 just the place where you stop the story.鈥�
Thanks to this special reunion, their story may continue beyond what these two healthcare professionals can even imagine.
黑料传送门 Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (黑料传送门), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), 黑料传送门 Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins 黑料传送门 South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, 黑料传送门 Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit .
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