An Unexpected Fall Meets Exceptional Care

Anthony's Story

Mammoth Hospital is a true asset to the community, and I cannot thank the team enough for their outstanding work.  I highly recommend their services to anyone in need of medical attention.

-Anthony Martinez

For years, Anthony Martinez’s friends had been urging him to join them at their cabin in Mammoth. In March 2025, Anthony finally made the trip. It was supposed to be a casual getaway—fresh powder, good company, and some time outdoors. But on the second day of his visit, things took an unexpected turn.

“We were outside, just playing around in the snow,” Anthony recalls. “A plow had just come through, and I was playing around on a kids’ Razor scooter. I must’ve hit a patch of black ice. Next thing I knew, I was down.”

The fall was serious enough to warrant a visit to the ER. Fortunately, Mammoth Hospital was only a mile away. Despite the unexpected April storm and the growing patient load, Anthony says the care he received from the moment he arrived was exceptional.

“I’ve had some bad hospital experiences in the past, so I wasn’t expecting much. But from the ER team to the X-ray techs, everyone at Mammoth was attentive, kind, and communicated clearly every step of the way,” says Anthony.

It turned out Anthony had a break in his elbow. Dr. Brittaney (“BK”) Vargas, the attending physician, brought some much-needed levity to the situation.

“She was cracking me up,” Anthony says, referencing the fact that Dr. Vargas noted how many of her patients were doing something like riding a kids’ scooter (as opposed to skiing off the top of the mountain) when they ended up in the ER. “She made me laugh even as she was telling me I needed surgery.”

Dr. Vargas brought in orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tim Crall, who Anthony hadn’t met yet—but quickly came to trust.

“He walked me through everything with patience and clarity. They were even in touch with my insurance to see if we could do the surgery in Mammoth, which was a huge relief. I didn’t want to drive back to Huntington Beach with a broken arm.”

Anthony was back to work just two days later. He opted to continue his follow-up care with Dr. Crall via Zoom. “I am incredibly grateful to the team at Mammoth Hospital for turning what could have been a very difficult experience into one of exceptional care and compassion,” says Anthony.

“You can’t teach bedside manner—you either have it or you don’t. And they had it in spades.”

“Mammoth Hospital is a true asset to the community, and I cannot thank the team enough for their outstanding work,” he says. “I highly recommend their services to anyone in need of medical attention.

“My whole perspective on hospitals changed,” says Anthony after his Mammoth visit. “Mammoth Hospital didn’t just fix my arm—they made me feel safe and respected.”