A day to be thankful

Dec 13, 2016

Jody Christopherson was facing one of those situations every parent dreads—a holiday weekend with a sick child. Jody’s 8-year old daughter Cally had been to the dentist just before Thanksgiving, and by Turkey Day she was in a lot of pain with a badly infected lip. She wouldn’t even let Jody touch her, so she took her to the Campbell County Medical Group (CCMG) Walk-in Clinic in Gillette, Wyoming and saw nurse practitioner Chet Rall.

“From the very beginning, the nurses were so empathetic and consoling,” said Jody. Then when we saw Chet, he told her it was going to be OK. He was excellent with her.”

Cally went home with a prescription for antibiotics, and a card with Chet’s phone number if they had any questions.

“It really reassured us as parents,” said Jody.

Jody was very surprised to receive a call from Chet that same afternoon to check on how Cally was doing. When Jody was finally able to call back the next day, the Walk-in Clinic put her through to Chet immediately.

“Chet didn’t know I worked at Campbell County Health (as a Respiratory Therapist in Cardiopulmonary Services at Campbell County Memorial Hospital),” said Jody. "He said he was thinking about Cally and was glad I called him back. It was so obvious that he treats all of his patients with the same care and concern. We live 50 miles away by Wright, so it was wonderful to be able to talk to Chet and see if we needed to bring her back to Gillette.”

Chet remembers Cally well, and conferring with his colleagues about the best course of treatment for her. He called it a group effort.

Cally’s lip was much improved by the weekend, and she was able to eat some of her favorite holiday treats.

“I can’t tell you how much Chet and the clinic staff did to make our holiday. We are so thankful," said Jody.

Visit the CCMG Walk-in Clinic for fast, convenient healthcare for the whole family. Located across the hall from the Campbell County Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, the Walk-in Clinic is open seven days a week for colds, sore throats and other minor injuries or illness. You can even save your place in line online by using Skip the Wait by visiting www.cchwyo.org/WIC and clicking on the Save My Place button.