LEXINGTON, Ky. — A University of Kentucky critical care physician gained an unprecedented perspective on patient recovery when he became an ICU patient himself, spending weeks battling severe pneumonia that required surgical intervention and months of rehabilitation at the same facility where he spent his career treating the most critically ill patients.

Dr. Gerald Klim, who retired from clinical practice, was admitted to UK HealthCare with a severe case of pneumonia that filled his right chest cavity with pus, requiring two chest tubes and video-assisted thorascopic surgery. The experience gave him firsthand insight into the comprehensive care model his colleagues had developed since his retirement.

"I wish I could have experienced it sooner," Klim said. "It really opened my eyes to what good healthcare is all about."

Klim's recovery utilized advanced techniques developed by researchers at UK HealthCare's ICU Recovery Clinic, which has been pioneering post-critical illness care since its establishment in 2013. When founded, it was only the third such clinic in the nation.

The interdisciplinary team included physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and critical care physicians who incorporated his wife, Paula, as an active participant in his recovery. Research shows that social support is one of three major factors determining success after ICU discharge, alongside pre-existing lifestyle and health status.

Klim was so weak initially that he required four staff members just to get out of bed. During his follow-up appointments, he underwent functional testing, deep breathing exercises, and muscle biopsies that provided valuable data to researchers investigating why some patients recover fully while others face lifelong impairments.

Dr. Kirby P. Mayer, a physical therapist researcher at UK, leads investigations into post-intensive care syndrome, which affects at least half of all ICU patients. The research team, supported by significant National Institutes of Health grants, examines skeletal muscle function and cellular mechanisms driving disability in ICU survivors.

Given Kentucky's aging population and prevalence of chronic disease, the work carries particular significance for the Commonwealth. The team frequently travels to rural areas including Shelbiana near Pikeville and Hazard to reach patients who lack access to rehabilitation services. "Some cities and counties still don't have home healthcare therapy," Mayer noted.

Klim's participation in these longitudinal studies, which track patients for three to five years, has contributed to understanding long-term risks including dementia and increased mortality following critical illness. His experience as both clinician and patient provided researchers with unique insights into patient perspectives that could refine future interventions.