This past weekend UTMB had the opportunity to provide a bit of care to legendary musician B.B. King, who had a run-in with an illness while in town to play at the Grand Opera House. It put Galveston and UTMB in the national spotlight for a day, and it was a little unusual to see our hospital listed in one of the top news items on the Google home page. We’ve had our handful of celebrity patients on campus in the years I’ve been here. The attention they attract from adoring fans always reminds me what a high price they pay for fame and success. Mr. King was out of the hospital Saturday, back on the road to recovery and more tour dates. He won’t be forgotten at UTMB.
And, although from news accounts his illness wasn’t serious, I wonder if he knew that fortune set him at the doorstep of one of the best places in the country for an elderly person (even a legendary bluesman of 80+ years) to get some medical attention? Our ACE unit is consistently rated among the nation’s best at taking care of our older citizens. The unit’s patient satisfaction scores lead the pack; the faculty and staff set the pace and standards that many others follow. What they do and how they do it is remarkable. Maybe next time Mr. King takes Lucille in his arms, he’ll think of us and get a little twinkle in his eye.