You never know when you’re going to need critical medical care – and Jennifer Kruchten discovered that the hard way.
When an ordinary toothache turned into a life-or-death emergency, Regional One Health was there with the resources Jennifer needed.
Now, she’s back to her work and family, and has become an advocate for the need to build a new Regional One Health campus to serve our community.
The need for critical medical care can come out of nowhere, which is why level one trauma centers like Regional One Health exist in communities throughout the country.
For Jennifer Kruchten, it started with something as simple as a routine visit to the dentist in early November of 2025.
“They took X-rays, and everything was fine. My tooth started bothering me after that, but it was no big deal. I could still eat on that side,” she said. “And then on a Friday when my dentist is closed, I ended up having a toothache.”
Jennifer still wasn’t overly concerned, but she went ahead and called her dentist, who told her to come in when they reopened the following Monday. She ended up needing a tooth pulled and went home with an antibiotic for an infection.
“In the middle of the night, I got up to take my medication, and it got stuck in my throat because my tongue and throat were so swollen,” Jennifer said. “I had to have hot cocoa just to get it down. My throat was closing up and I thought, ‘We’ve got a situation.’”
That situation escalated rapidly the next morning.
Her dentist sent her to an oral surgeon, who made an alarming diagnosis: Ludwig’s Angina, an aggressive bacterial infection under the floor of the mouth that spreads rapidly and can ultimately block the airway.
Jennifer was quickly developing sepsis, a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme response to infection, leading to widespread inflammation and the potential for organ and tissue damage.
“The doctor said, ‘You need to go to Regional One Health immediately,’” Jennifer said.
Jennifer Kruchten was told to get to Regional One Health immediately when her doctor discovered she was developing sepsis. By the time she got there, a multidisciplinary team was already assembled to provide the care she needed.
Jennifer, who was born and raised in Memphis, had never been to Regional One Health. “I only knew of it as a trauma hospital, but thankfully no one in my family had ever needed it,” she said. “When I heard sepsis and they told me I needed to go to Regional One Health, I cried for a minute, and then said, “OK, let’s get it taken care of.’”
Her twin sister Deborah drove her to the hospital. By the time she got there, a medical team including a specialized surgeon, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other providers was already waiting for her. Within a few hours of her sepsis diagnosis, she was in surgery.
It was a scary experience, but Jennifer found no shortage of expert care and compassionate support from her team at Regional One Health.
“My sister was with me the whole time, God love her, and everyone at Regional One Health went above and beyond,” Jennifer said. “The nurses were wonderful. The man who brought me food was lovely. It was like in the movies – the nurses and doctors want to take care of you. It isn’t just a job. They want to see you get better. It was just a wonderful experience.”
It was also an experience that put Jennifer on a path to get involved in the future of health care in Memphis and the Mid-South.
While the care Jennifer received was exceptional, it was clear the facility itself was less than ideal. “The facility is a little tired. It’s old. It needs to be updated,” Jennifer said. “The care I got was excellent – and you can’t judge a book by its cover – but a new facility would be incredible for Memphis and the surrounding community.”
As a lifelong Memphian, Jennifer knows how important Regional One Health is to the community: “We need to take this precious asset and protect it, and the only way to do that is with a new facility.”
For Jennifer, that’s more than an opinion – it’s a cause she is now supporting by donating to the Regional One Health Foundation.
Jennifer, who owns a travel management company, wants to do her part to strengthen her hometown – and to make sure other people have lifesaving care in their time of need.
“Having a hospital like Regional One Health here in Memphis is phenomenal. We are very lucky to have it,” she said.
“They saved my life. I’m here today to talk about it,” she said. “I’m grateful to be here. My daughter is having her second baby soon, and there’s nothing like being a grandparent. We have twin sons who are just 25 years old, and I need to be here for them.”
“I will always be a supporter of Regional One Health. We need to take this precious asset and protect it, and the only way to do that is with a new facility.”