Kathreen Covington of Indianapolis has been coming to Eskenazi Health for a long time. She was born at Indianapolis General Hospital, which changed its name to Wishard Memorial Hospital in 1975 and later became Eskenazi Health in December 2013.

“I’ve been coming here since birth and I’ve been through a lot of things,” said Covington. “I’ve learned not to try to be a doctor and try to diagnose myself and tell the doctor ‘you’re not doing it right.’ When they showed me that they were doing it right, I learned to behave and to agree, and I went along with what they had to say. I don’t like being sick, but when I think I’m sick and I’m not sick, they straighten me out and I’ve got to be a good patient.”

Covington was once diagnosed with cancer and received chemotherapy treatments at Eskenazi Health. She also had back surgery that required screws, bolts and additional hardware to mend her back together.

Pain from the back surgery caused her to enter the Eskenazi Health Integrated Pain program under the direction of Dr. Palmer MacKie, who specializes in pain management and recovery. The program focuses on improving a person's overall quality of life without an emphasis on medication. Participants in the program become stronger and more flexible in body and mind.

“After getting to know me, as part of my treatment, Dr. MacKie said my therapy would include baking five cakes at a time and he wanted me to make sure I give two away,” Covington said. “Sometimes when I’m troubled, I just go into the kitchen - and I get up every day at 3:30 in the morning - and if something is on my mind, I bake cakes and I would give them away and blessings would roll in, and they continue to come my way. I tell people I’m not in business, this is a hobby … this is my therapy.”

Covington has received a lifetime of great care from Eskenazi Health and is anxious to tell all those she encounters about her positive experiences. 

“I would tell everyone to definitely go to Eskenazi Health,” she said. “I would tell them that Eskenazi Health is a training hospital where most of the top surgeons come from when they were interns because Eskenazi Health is hard, and they’re not going to let you just slip through the cracks. I only trust Eskenazi Health and I know they have my back. I was born here and they’re still taking care of me. I would never choose anyplace else but Eskenazi Health, and every doctor they gave me, I became attached to. I love it here!”