When Walter Motta traveled from his home country of Brazil to Dallas for his grandson’s wedding, he never expected his stay to last three months.
Motta, though, needed an emergency triple bypass surgery, which required a three-week hospital stay; he then suffered a major seizure, and now remains hospitalized and unable to return to his home country.
Telemundo 39 in Dallas covered Motta’s story, sharing the plight of his family and their efforts to get him home so he could recover with his family in Brazil.
The story focused on the challenges faced by foreigners who need emergency health care. For expertise in their coverage, Telemundo turned to Dr. Harvey Castro, the medical director at Elite Care 24/7 Emergency Room in The Colony.
Dr. Castro shed light on foreigners’ access to emergency care, explaining the rights of U.S. visitors when they suffer a medical emergency — that they, just like U.S. citizens, can get emergency medical care in the United States.
In addition to Telemundo’s story on foreigners’ rights to emergency care, Dr. Castro served as a correspondent for stories on obesity, a measles outbreak, Obamacare and the accessibility provided by free-standing emergency rooms.
Telemundo 39’s coverage is just one example of how Elite Care Emergency Room physicians contribute expertise and knowledge to health-related conversations in Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston.
For Dr. Castro, the stories also represent an opportunity to support the Hispanic community in his home state.
“I feel like I’m giving back to the community,” he said. “It’s also an opportunity to meet different people.”
Dr. Castro, who was selected by D Magazine as one of its Best Doctors in Emergency Medicine in 2014 and 2015, said he jumped at the chance to share advice and health tips.
In the case of Motta, he’s now doing his part to spread the word in hopes of helping Motta’s family drum up enough support to send him home to Brazil. You can contribute to a Go Fund Me campaign started by Motta’s family here.