Mary Patricia Smith

I would like to take the opportunity to share the positive impact Tricia had on me and my father during his hospital star at Henry Ford West Bloomfield.

I am passionate about the importance of healthcare providers “seeing” the patient and their family and when Tricia came in my father’s room I knew we were seen. As I observed her interacting with my father, I thought of the second track on the enclosed CD, “Her name was Ruth” and thought to myself, Tricia is our Ruth.

My father was nervous but Tricia engaged him and put him at ease so quickly. Prior to her arrival, he received excellent care by kind nurses but there was something different about how she interacted with him. She was interested in him as a person, not just in providing care to a patient. She probably takes this skill for granted but over the many years I’ve been in healthcare I met only a few caregivers with this talent.

In my work, I travel a lot and I had just returned home from three days in two states. I was exhausted but had planned to spend the night to put both myself and my father at ease. Being a nurse myself he always feels better when I am with him. After meeting Tricia, it didn’t take me long to realize I could leave and rest confidently that my father was in excellent hands. But what amazed me was how quickly he was reassured when he asked her how accessible she would be during the night. She assured him, saying she would be caring for the patient in the next room and the chair and computer between the two rooms is where you would be during the night. My father rested knowing Tricia was there for him, keeping an eye on him, and ensuring everything would be fine. I also rested.

In my work as a consultant for a company that implements Relationship-Based Care and as a Magnet Appraiser, I have the opportunity to work with the best and strongest organizations. The most important component that goes into making an organization great is its people. Tricia is one of the people that make Henry Ford West Bloomfield great.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making my father’s hospitalization one that we can look back on with good memories.