‘Fortunate to Have This Level of Care and Medical Expertise so Close to Home’

One minute, Mitch Lautenslager was excitedly trying out his new ice auger. The next minute, he was on the ground, staring up into his grandson’s worried face. 

It was February 2024. Mitch and his 12-year-old grandson, Philip, were sharing a moment on the lake, using the new ice auger Mitch got as a Christmas gift. An ice auger is a drill that is used to make a hole in the ice so that anglers can fish through the opening. 

“We got down there on the ice and I drilled a hole. We were both excited with how it worked and then I handed him the auger,” Mitch said. “The next thing I know, I’m lying on the ground. I had hit my head on the ice and my grandson is looking at me and saying, ‘Papa, are you all right?’” 

Getting up after his fall, Mitch made it into the house and down to the basement to change clothes and soon realized he had no idea how he’d gotten there. 

“I knew where I was but I didn’t know why I was there,” Mitch recalled. “It was very scary.” 

Joy, Mitch’s wife, came downstairs to find her husband wandering and confused. A retired nurse, she knew immediately that he needed to go to the emergency department. The trio rushed to ThedaCare Medical Center-Waupaca. 

‘Made Us a Priority’

After registering at the front desk and settling in to the waiting area, the family heard an intercom announcement about an emergency situation. They braced for a long wait. 

“I have a medical background and I could tell there was a lot going on that day,” Joy said. “The next thing I knew, a nurse came out, called my husband’s name, put him in a wheelchair and took him back.” 

Teams were busy and the family felt cared for. 

“Within seconds, there had to be at least five people there, including a doctor,” Joy said. “It was impressive.” 

It was indeed a busy period that wasn’t going to compromise patient care, said Dr. Nathan Larsen, the Emergency Medicine Physician who treated Mitch. 

“We were very busy that day,” said Dr. Nathan Larsen, the Emergency Medicine Physician who treated Mitch. “Every patient is a priority and we were going to find a way to provide exceptional care for each person, including Mitch.” 

Soon, the team placed a neck brace on Mitch, took his vitals, asked questions and prepared him for a CT scan. The speedy, attentive care was a relief to Joy, who was worried her husband might suffer a brain bleed due to the blood thinners he took. 

Compassionate Care

For Joy, the situation was overwhelming. Mitch was disoriented and asking the same questions repeatedly: “What’s going on? Why am I here?” As Joy sought to reassure him, she also worried for Philip. 

“My grandson was with me, and he was all of 12 years old,” she said. “I could tell he was really upset.” 

As the team took care of Mitch, they also tended to Joy and Philip. They brought grandmother and grandson to a room, offered snacks and kept them informed. 

Dr. Larsen provided updates and assured Joy they wouldn’t release her husband until they were certain he didn’t have any bleeds stemming from the concussion he’d sustained. 

“I felt like we were their priority and they were going to do everything to make sure that my husband was safe and treated well,” said Joy, who worked as a nurse in oncology, home care and senior care before retiring. “I never felt anything was dismissed or that we were ignored.” 

Dr. Larsen said that’s the level of care people can expect to receive in Waupaca and at all ThedaCare critical access hospitals. 

“We work to ensure that every patient feels cared for,” he said. “We want to make sure that families understand that we’re here for them.” 

Close to Home

Today, Mitch, who serves as Department Chair of Management Development at Fox Valley Technical College, is fully recovered from his concussion and back to enjoying life and time with family. He jokes about his takeaway from the ordeal: “The major follow-up was that I sold all my ice-fishing gear.” 

Mitch and Joy moved to Waupaca from the Fox Cities seven years ago. The couple say they’re astounded with the care they receive in the community. 

“I think people think if you’re not in an urban area with a huge hospital, you’re not going to get the same care. That’s not true,” she said. “I don’t think we could have gotten better care anywhere else.” 

Visit ThedaCare Medical Center-Waupaca for more information about the services offered.

Mitch Lautenslager hit his head and was concussed in February 2024 after he slipped and fell on ice while trying out his new ice auger. His wife Joy rushed him to ThedaCare Medical Center-Waupaca where he said, “we’re fortunate to have this level of care and medical expertise so close to home.”

Mitch and Joy Lautenslager moved to Waupaca from the Fox Cities seven years ago. The couple said they’re impressed by the quality health care they receive in the community. That was evident when Mitch experienced a concussion and sought medical attention at ThedaCare Medical Center-Waupaca. “I don’t think we could have gotten better care anywhere else,” Joy said.