Medical Reports: Critical Connection

WSVN -- When Shari Nourick's father Lenny suffered a serious accident on the job, she didn't think he would survive.

Shari Nourick: "Closing the door of a Boeing 747 and somebody pulled the stairs out from under him. He was in ICU for approximately 40 days. He was in a coma for about 35 of those days."

Shari practically lived at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood watching over her dad.

Jennifer Davis' life turned upside down when her son ended up in the intensive care unit following a car accident.

Jennifer Davis: "The biggest thing that I noticed when he was in here was that I had no connection with the outside world, no resources."

So Jennifer got with the hospital and formed a task force to create the Patient and Family Resource Center at Memorial Regional Hospital, equipped with computers and Internet access. It's a place where family members of patients can go to research medical information as well as keep up with the chores of daily life.

Jennifer Davis: "So you need to pay bills, you need to email loved ones and stay connected to the outside world."

Staying connected was critically important to both Jennifer and Shari.

Shari Nourick: "It equips you to deal with a better treatment and diagnosis for your family member."

But it's not just about the family members; the patients benefit as well. Lenny says having his family there made his recovery much easier.

Lenny Nourick: "My family, my wife and daughter, they were here everyday, everyday."

The Patient and Family Resource Center is open seven days a week and is staffed by volunteers. Jennifer now hopes to bring this idea to other hospitals across South Florida.