‘Triple Crown’ emergency healthcare in action: How University Medical Center New Orleans cared for Officer Bobby with love, respect

Bobby Guidry spent his life showing up for people. He was a New Orleans police officer for 35 years. After he retired from the force, he worked as head of security at Stuart Hall School and helped shape how the school kept its students safe.

He loved baseball, played in local leagues, and took his kids and grandkids to their first games. He dreamed of visiting every Major League ballpark.

Summers meant the beach. Evenings meant family.

In early January 2025, Bobby’s life took an unexpected turn. His two daughters, both nurses, Tara Guidry, 48, and Ashley Dimitri, 43, and his sister took turns sitting vigil at University Medical Center New Orleans.

Guidry, 70, was alone at home when he developed what he described as the worst headache of his life. “He told my sister it felt like an ice pick,” said Tara. Ashley rushed over to her father’s house and took his blood pressure. “It was dangerously high,” Tara said.

By the time 911 was called and the ambulance arrived to take Officer Bobby to University Medical Center, Ashley told her sister—who was already driving south from Baton Rouge to meet them at the hospital—that “it was clear this was no ordinary emergency.”

Rushed to the Region’s Highest Level of Emergency Care

Thankfully, the ambulance took Officer Bobby to University Medical Center, the only hospital in the Gulf South to hold the region’s three highest national emergency care designations: Level I Trauma Center, Verified Burn Center, and Comprehensive Stroke Center.

That distinction matters when every minute counts. Stroke is one of the leading causes of serious disability and death in the United States, and rapid access to specialized care can make a critical difference in outcomes.

Once at University Medical Center, imaging revealed a massive hemorrhagic stroke. Officer Bobby was unconscious and placed on a ventilator. Tara said when she got there, the prognosis was grim. “They told us an emergency craniectomy might relieve pressure and we signed the consent forms right away,” she added.

A craniectomy is an emergency surgery that relieves pressure on the brain by temporarily removing a portion of the skull, a step taken when surgeons believe allowing the swollen brain room to expand may improve the chance for recovery. Young Lee, MD, a neurosurgeon, determined the procedure was worth a try and performed the craniectomy in the early morning hours of January 6.

The family was told the odds were long, but the care team would pursue every appropriate option. Tara said she believes with all her heart that they absolutely did just that.

Officer Bobby never regained consciousness. The scans showed no meaningful signs of recovery. As nurses themselves, his daughters understood what the medicine was saying, even as their hearts hoped otherwise. Their father had been clear about his wishes. He did not want a feeding tube or a tracheostomy. He would not have wanted to live with severe disabilities.

With the palliative care team at University Medical Center, the Guidry family made the decision to turn off the life-sustaining machines during a compassionate extubation.

Clinical excellence with a focus on humanity

Tara recalled the days between her dad’s stroke and the day he passed on January 25, 2025. She said nurses spoke to Bobby as if he could hear them. They explained every step. They treated him as present and worthy of dignity.

“Neuro ICU nurse Layla Bonano, RN, asked to see a photo of him before the stroke,” Tara said. “She wanted to know who he was beyond the monitors and machines.” Tara nominated Layla for a DAISY Award, a national honor that recognizes nurses for exceptional compassion and patient care, which she recently won at University Medical Center.

When the family mentioned his love of music from the movie Grease, Layla quietly played Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta at his bedside. No announcement. No audience. Just a small act of kindness for a man who could no longer speak for himself.

“That is real nursing,” Tara said. “They believed he could hear them. They believed he was still here.”

Palliative care joined early, guiding the family through decisions with clarity and compassion. The goal was not only to treat Bobby, but to care for everyone around him. “University Medical Center provided meticulous and well-rounded care,” Tara said. “They wanted us informed and mentally okay while they cared for my dad.”

Triple Crown emergency care, proven at the bedside

Bobby Guidry’s care came at a defining moment for the hospital. University Medical Center recently became the only hospital in the Gulf South to simultaneously hold the region’s three highest national emergency care designations: Level I Trauma Center, Verified Burn Center, and Comprehensive Stroke Center—often referred to as the ‘Triple Crown’ of emergency care.

These designations are not symbolic. They represent rigorous national standards and confirm that expert teams, advanced imaging, surgical readiness, and evidence-based protocols are in place 24/7.

As a Comprehensive Stroke Center, University Medical Center is equipped to manage the most complex stroke cases, with multidisciplinary teams—including neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuro ICU nurses, radiologists, and rehabilitation specialists—ready to act without delay. Systems are designed not only for emergency intervention, but also for coordinated follow-through care and family support.

Guidry’s case reflected what that looked like in real life: rapid imaging, immediate neurosurgical evaluation, dedicated Neuro ICU staffing, early palliative involvement, and a team prepared to move quickly while remaining deeply present when outcomes were uncertain.

For patients and families, stroke certification provides peace of mind knowing their loved one is being treated at a hospital that has met external quality standards for stroke care, with proven processes in place to improve survival and reduce disability whenever possible.

Care that leaves a lasting impact

“There is nothing more they could have done to change the outcome,” Tara said. “But how they cared for him, and for us, mattered more than I can explain. They made us feel like family.”

At University Medical Center, the Triple Crown is not about titles or recognition. It is about moments like these—when advanced medicine, skilled teams, and compassion come together at the bedside, even in the hardest circumstances.

Learn more about University Medical Center’s Comprehensive Stroke Center here: https://www.lcmchealth.org/university-medical-center-new-orleans/our-services/stroke-care/