The Ambassador of Good Health

When longtime Lansdale business leader Peter Watson, 69, arrived at work on a recent morning, he couldn’t remember his computer password. “It’s the one I type every day of my working life, but I passed it off as a momentary lapse,” he recalls. “Then I joined a meeting regarding establishing new businesses, and I couldn’t keep track of the items on the agenda.

“Fortunately, my wife, Debbie, who is very protective of my health, knew something was wrong,” Peter continues. “She called our family doctor, Michael Seidner, MD and we headed straight to Lansdale Hospital’s Emergency Department.”

Lansdale Hospital sits around the corner from Old Forge MotorCars, one of many businesses owned by Peter and his wife. Yet the civic leader says entering the Emergency Department since the local hospital joined Abington Health is a new—and amazing—experience.

“I think I met everyone in the place,” Peter laughs. “I received instant attention. The doctors and nurses wanted to rule out a stroke.”

Emergency Specialist Tecla Brabazon, D.O. met Peter and immediately began reviewing his medical history. “Mr. Watson presented with rather unusual symptoms for a stroke,” she explains. “His was more of a mental lapse, and we wanted to evaluate him not only for stroke, but also for conditions like encephalitis or a focal seizure.”

Dr. Brabazon continues, “We initiated blood tests and a CT scan of his brain and called in neurologist Cynthia Wang, M.D. to consult. It’s essential that we look at every angle when treating patients in the Emergency Department, and Lansdale Hospital is fortunate to have such a multidisciplinary team of specialists.”

While Peter was undergoing his clinical evaluation, he witnessed the “culture of Abington” everywhere. “Being a part of the Lansdale community for so many years, of course my family had experienced care under the previous hospital ownership,” explains Peter.

“It is now obvious to me from a patient perspective that the culture has totally changed. As Stephen Covey says in his book, the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, you’ve got to have a high degree of competence and a high degree of caring in order to be highly effective.   Lansdale Hospital has that and so much more.”

The attention to cleanliness was also present everywhere Peter and his wife turned. Peter continues, “Lansdale has a super staff—no matter how many different people I interacted with, they were always washing their hands before and after seeing me. The cleaning and nutrition staff was just as caring as those who had more clinical roles.

With a team like this, Peter is happy to serve on the Lansdale Hospital Business Council. The council, like its counterpart at Abington Memorial Hospital, is designed to engage business leaders in helping tell today’s Lansdale Hospital story. With businesses like the Old Forge MotorCars, Old Forge Collision Center and Sears Auto Center on Broad Street, Peter is well known for his business acumen and his dedication to the community. He’s excited to share information about new high-tech services like the Orthopaedic & Spine Institute with the area residents he meets.

“While my health scare turned out fine, the doctors left no stone unturned to ensure that I was in top health,” Peter adds.  “I am so pleased that this phenomenal level of clinical care, professionalism, caring, and attention to environment exists for the people of our area now. It’s a great feeling.”