The West Toledo Herald
June 7, 2006
By Mark Griffin
Herald Editor
Dr. Jabaly with Mr. Joseph at MUO
WEST TOLEDO – Mohamed Joseph isn’t going to be going to any family picnics this summer.
He won’t be lounging poolside, sipping a cool beverage, and he certainly won’t be taking any walks in the park with his family.
“I cannot move anywhere,” said Joseph, 69, a West Toledo resident. “I have to stay on my back or three months – all summer long. We were waiting to enjoy the summer. Now, I have to enjoy it in my bed.”
Joseph, whose father, Samuel Joseph, served in the Army during World War I, is a United States citizen of Lebanese descent. Last month, Mohamed thought it would be a good idea to take his daughter, Attaya, and her husband, Jerry Gohn, on vacation to Lebanon.
“She was wishing to go back where her ancestors came from,” said Joseph, who has a Middle Eastern accent. “We want to see a historical place in Lebanon. We were in more than one place. Finally, we went to place located in central Lebanon, to a castle built (during) the Crusades when they were in Lebanon. It was way up in the mountains.
“We went inside that castle and it was very neglected. No lights, no sign, no such thing. My cousin went inside one room, very dark, and I tried to follow him up.”
That’s when Joseph’s vacation came crashing to a halt – literally. He fell into a hole and tumbled more than 20 feet, severely injuring his left hip and pelvis.
“I fell on the rocks and rolled down,” he recalled. “I waited three hours for the medical people to pick me up.”
He was taken to a hospital in a small village nearby, then was transferred to a hospital in Beirut. He said he thought he would be well taken care of, especially after identifying himself as an American citizen and showing his Social Security retirement and Medicare cards.
“They said they didn’t accept it and never let me go inside the hospital without paying in advance,” Joseph said. “We paid them $5,000 in the beginning. After four or five days they treated me to take the pain from me.”
However, hospital personnel would only give him so much medication for the excruciating pain.
“They would only give me up to two CCs of morphine, which did nothing for me. I am 220 pounds,” Joseph said. “Everything over there in the hospital is miserable. They don’t care for the person who is in pain, or in shock. I had over 60 broken bones in my hips down to my knee.”
Joseph and his family decided to call a friend back in the U.S., Dr. Georges Jabaly, a board-certified family practice physician based in Sylvania. Dr. Jabaly is the founder and medical director of MN Angels Clinic, a practice specializing in alternative and holistic care that focuses on total wellness and health care cost savings. Dr. Jabaly is also the U.S. president of Terre Des Hommes, a non-profit humanitarian organization that offers medical help to those in need.
Dr. Jabaly made several calls to the Terre Des Hommes offices in the Middle East, spoke with U.S. Embassy and Congressional representatives and arranged for Joseph to be admitted to American University Hospital in Beirut.
“Dr. Jabaly helped me a lot and contacted people over there,” Joseph said. “They told me they would provide me with as much as they could provide.” The operation to repair Joseph’s hip and legs would have cost more than $250,000 in Beruit, according to Dr. Jabaly, who added that doctors there told him there was no guarantee of a successful surgery.
Dr. Jabaly, who is of Syrian descent, said that after much dialogue, the surgeon in Beirut admitted that it would be best if Joseph had his surgery in the U.S.
“They said, ‘We cannot do such an operation,’” Dr. Jabaly said. “That’s the bottom line. They said, ‘We cannot afford such an operation. We would love to, but we really can’t.’ Let’s say even if we had the money available, I had word from insiders there that his surgery will not be successful. Keep in mind that the surgeon there will not tell you that. Who’s going to turn away $100,000 in a country where in a month all you have to spend is $200. One hundred thousand dollars back there is similar to like $1 million here.”
Dr. Jabaly said that because American University Hospital would not accept Medicare, Joseph had no choice but to be flown back to the U.S. for surgery. The flight back to the States would take nearly 24 hours and would be risky. Dr. Jabaly knew it wasn’t the best scenario for a 69-year-old man with extensive leg and hip injuries.
“For a patient with all those injuries, to come on a stretcher, it’s not easy,” Dr. Jabaly said. “It’s hard to tell what kind of criteria they had on him while he was there, treatment-wise. It’s a bad, bad injury. The decision that had to be made was extremely difficult.”
Joseph was flown to Amsterdam and then to Detroit, and was finally transferred by ambulance to the Medical University of Ohio in Toledo on May 21.
“When I arrived at medical college, I was born again and lived again. I can swear on that,” Joseph said. “They provided all the help I needed. Anything I asked for, they provided, without questioning me for anything in advance.”
Joseph’s first operation, performed within a day of his arrival at MUO, was performed by Dr. Nabil Ibraheim, an orthopedic surgeon at MUO.
Joseph expressed his gratitude to Dr. Jabaly and the Terre Des Hommes organization for bringing him home.
Joseph underwent surgery on May 22, May 23 and again on May 26.
“I can testify if I would not have come back home, I would never be alive,” Joseph said. “I’m very thankful for God that he got me back over here and thankful for Dr. Jabaly. He helped me all he could. I am thankful to God that he let me come back to the States. I am in very good care now.”
Joseph will undergo extensive physical therapy later this summer. He and his wife of 26 years, Skyneh, have four children: daughters Zaynab and Fatymeh, and sons Hassan and Aly, who will be a senior at Start High School next year.
“Some people asked me to go a rest home, but told them I preferred to go to my house so my family could look after me,” Joseph said. “I have a nurse visit me every day. I thought I could have more of a social life if I stayed home.”
Local physician makes house calls
By Sylvania Advantage
“Cure is our mission,” notes Dr. Georges Jabaly, board-certified family practice physician, founder and director of MN Angels Clinic, 4405 N. Holland Sylvania Rd., an innovative practice offering a new, holistic approach to medicine. In addition to his mission, Dr. Jabaly believes that no patient should ever be left behind. In keeping with that philosophy he has initiated the almost forgotten medical practice of making house calls.
“We provide our patients the best health care and service possible,” Dr. Jabaly said. “And we can now make that same health care available to those home-bound patients. We will visit people who do not have transportation, are not mobile or have to depend on family members or others to come to the office,” he noted.
Maria Ley joined MN Angels Clinic last May bringing five years of experience in the home health care field and is working with Dr. Jabaly to develop this division of the practice. “With all of today¹s technology, we are bringing new age technology to the old school practice of making house calls,” she observed. “We started with one patient and now we have 14 people we see in their homes or apartments,” she noted. One of their patients is confined to a wheelchair while another is bed bound. Thanks to these house calls and other related home care services, both patients can remain in their homes.
While most of the patients are elderly, Mrs. Ley said she and Dr. Jabaly will schedule visits with anyone of any age who is unable to make visits to a doctor¹s office. “For example, we could see a child or a young adult who is disabled or even someone who suffers from agoraphobia,” she pointed out. “Just because these people cannot visit a physician for whatever reason does not mean they should not have access to health care,” she stated.
In addition to scheduling appointments in individual patient¹s homes, Dr. Jabaly and Mrs. Ley also make calls in apartment communities, group homes, assisted living facilities, nursing homes and more. “We will go where ever a patient needs us,” Dr. Jabaly promised. “Our home-based patients come into the office for their first visit and from then on, we go to their homes,” Mrs. Ley noted. Dr. Jabaly accepts Medicaid, Medicare, insured or self pay patients.
“I believe that everyone should have access to medical care,” Dr. Jabaly stated. “We have designed a program with reasonable fees,” he said. “However, we do insist that our patients listen to our advice and follow our recommendations,” he emphasized.
Patients who visit the office also experience reasonable office call fees. Medical testing, some of which is done in the office is also affordable. “In my medical practice, I believe in making an accurate diagnosis and offering the best treatment for my patients to improve their health status and slow their disease process. I look into their whole life to address their needs on a physical, social, and spiritual level. In addition, I am looking to promote prevention medicine by, emphasizing life-style modification to maintain good health and increase functionality,” Dr. Jabaly related.
“Dr. Jabaly takes time and really listens to each patient in our office or in his or her home. He works in partnership to make each patient well again,” Mrs. Ley observed. “Cure is our mission.”
Alliance formed between local medical practice and home health care agency
By Sylvania Advantage
After serving as one of two medical directors of Heritage Home Health Care Services for nearly two years, Dr. Georges Jabaly of MN Angels Clinic and the home health care agency have formed an alliance.
“The home care professionals can be my eyes and ears for my patients in their homes on a regular basis,” Dr. Jabaly noted. “I identify those patients I see in the office who could benefit from home health care services,” he said. “The Heritage team has procedures to take it from there,” he explained.
That team includes a registered nurse {RN} who serves as case manager; a licensed practical nurse, (LPN) certified nursing assistant (CNA), social worker and state tested nursing assistant (STNA), the people on the team are trained to be aware of each patient’s environment and general quality of life issues and report back to the RN who, in turn, reports to Dr. Jabaly on a regular basis. “By keeping up with these patients on a regular basis, we will be able to help people stay independent and age in place,” he noted.
“These home health care workers get to know their patients and their day-to-day procedures. They also get the real picture of how the house looks and can be very proactive with fall prevention,” Dr. Jabaly pointed out.
“We are very happy to have formed this alliance,” noted Heritage Home Health Care Services’ Community Relations Coordinator Jenelle Buschmann. “We share the same wellness philosophy held by Dr. Jabaly who is very proactive and innovative. Once a patient has been identified who could benefit from our menu of service, we make an assessment of that patient’s heath care needs in their home and develop a care plan to meet those needs. Part of that plan includes regular meetings with Dr. Jabaly to review patient status,” she explained. “Skilled care is about 97 percent of our business,” she said.
There are 200 employees affiliated with the local office, of which 30 RN and 150 STNAs. The company also offers occupational, physical and speech therapy. Locally owned and operated Heritage Health Care Services with its seven offices in Ohio and three in Pennsylvania has been offering a full menu of skilled and unskilled home heath care services for 16 years. Heritage Home Health Care Services provides a comprehensive range of services from basic assistance to complex, high tech medical care. “We are committed to the highest standards of healthcare, combined with financially conservative and cost effective methods,” noted Heritage Home Health Care’s Corporate Account Director Jeanne Niklis.
Board-certified family practice physician Dr. Jabaly, owner and founder of MN Angels Clinic emphasizes the philosophy “Cure is our mission,’ in his innovative practice, which offers a holistic approach to medicine.
“We provide the best health care and service possible to our patients,” Dr. Jabaly promised “I believe in making an accurate diagnosis and offering the best treatment for my patients to improve their health status and slow the disease process. I look into my patients’ whole lives to address their needs on a physical, social and spiritual level. In addition, I promote preventive medicine by emphasizing life-style modifications to maintain good health and increase functionality,” Dr. Jabaly pointed out. “This new alliance with Heritage Health Care Services allows us to extend this same emphasis on care for our patients in their homes,” he said.
Radio Program
By Sylvania Herald
“The Dr. Georges Jabaly Show” is on the air! Listen and call in with your questions for the doctor every Saturday morning from 8:30 to 9:00 on WCWA 1230 AM in Toledo.
Note: Dr. Jabaly has since concluded his program. Thank you to all that tuned in!
TV Profile
Dr. Jabaly was profiled on WTVG ABC 13 during its “People, Places and Things” segment. The story focused on the doctor’s help for a Toledo man who was hurt in Lebanon. Dr. Jabaly arranged for advanced medical care and a return trip to Toledo through the humanitarian organization, Terre Des Hommes. He serves as the President of the United States Chapter.
Lecture
Dr. Jabaly serves as a guest lecturer for the residency program at Mercy College talking with residents about family practice medicine.
Missions
Jan. – Feb., 2005: Medical Missions Trip
“On my recent mission we sponsored a Total Hip Replacement for a 32 year-old married woman who had a congenital hip dislocation with advanced osteroarthritis and severely advanced right hip deformity. This had restricted her activities, her work, and she was unable to have children due to the severity of her hip problem. She was unable to afford the cost of this type of Surgery. The cost would be equal to her and her husband’s salaries for two years.
Thankfully, we were able to cover all of her Surgery expenses thru our non-profit organization. Her surgery was performed in Damascus at the Omyayat Hospital on Jan. 31, 2005. She is now recovering well, walking with an excellent prognosis and looking to a much brighter future.
We also sponsored four Corneal Transplants on this trip with excellent results. These people are now seeing the light for the first time, can you imagine how they must feel? In Lebanon, we visited several charitable organizations to assist them with their medical Needs and offered close to 170 medical and surgical consultations. We distributed large amounts of medications for a variety of chronic illnesses.
I have already started planning and arranging for our future medical mission trips. As always, I look forward to each and every mission to help give the much needed medical care to each person in need and to hopefully given them a much brighter future.”
Newspaper
Sylvania Advantage
Board Certified Family practice Physician Georges T. Jabaly, M.D., M.S.B.S. has purchased a 4,000 square foot office suite in the Sylvania Business Park, 4405 Holland-Sylvania Rd. Patients will be seen in the new office the end of June.
Don Helvey of Robert F. Lindsey Co. Realtors negotiated the sale on behalf of Dr. Jabaly and financing was arranged by David Reed of Signature Bank.
The Sylvania Business Park was developed by a partnership that includes Mitchell Development, Forrester Wehrle and Buckeye Commercial Construction. Buckeye Commercial Construction was the general contractor for the project.
“This office will not look like the typical medical office,” Dr. Jabaly said. “This will be a comfortable, warm, home-like environment where patients can relax and be at ease to talk with me as if they were visiting a friend,” he explained. I want to break that barrier that seems to exist between a doctor and patient. In my practice, I find it important to listen to people and address their needs,” he said.