A motorcycle accident left Bill Bush struggling for his life. And an ambulance ride to USA Health University Hospital was the first step to helping him put his life back together.
Bill Bush recently retired from his role as the chief financial officer for USA Health. Before he retired, he was also a motorcycle enthusiast. Taking long rides along the country roads provided a way to relieve some of the stress of his job.
A while back, Bill was riding with some friends to Abita Springs, Louisiana. They left the back roads of Alabama and ventured into Mississippi where, in a sharp curve on a two-lane road, Bill lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into a culvert. Bill’s head hit first, followed by his shoulder, which was completely crushed. His friends quickly called an ambulance.
“The ambulance was going to take me to a hospital down in Pascagoula,” Bill recalls. “It’s a great hospital, but just doesn’t offer the care that’s available at USA University Hospital.”
Bill was adamant about going straight back to Mobile because of his first-hand knowledge of USA Health’s capabilities.
“This is an academic medical center that provides specialty services that no other hospitals in the area provide,” Bill says. “Other hospitals don’t have the level of specialized care or expertise in trauma that I desperately needed.”
That decision saved his life and his ability to recover. The ball and socket of his shoulder were completely destroyed. He had extensive brain trauma, a lacerated liver, and kidney and spleen damage. There’s no doubt in his mind that he wouldn’t have been able to go back to work full time, much less survive, if he’d gone anywhere else.
“My job required me to multitask and think ahead,” adds Bill. “So I needed to be able to function both cognitively and physically.”
The accident changed Bill for the better. He was face-to-face with his own mortality. These days Bill has a positive outlook that might not have been possible if not for USA Health.
