Ana provides excellent care for every patient she encounters and it shows in the respect shown to her by her peers.
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I'm a family physician in Louisville and have been meaning to send in a nomination for Ana Grantham for her outstanding work and going above and beyond what's required in caring for a patient of mine that was seen in Avista ER. My patient had hit her head while volunteering at Meals on Wheels and felt a little dizzy and so came to ER for an evaluation. Ana was part of the team that evaluated her to ensure she didn't have a concussion or intracranial hemorrhage...however Ana also felt the patient was very stressed and more confused than the situation really probably caused, and with a difficult home situation (patient cares for her invalid husband who is also emotionally labile and has h/o of being emotionally abusive) she notified social services to check out the home environment and any assistance needed for the patient. Then Ana called me and asked me about patient's support system and home environment and if the situation was safe for the patient. I was so impressed, because when Ana and I had finally chatted on the phone, it was at least a week after the ER visit and she was off duty but remembered the situation very well. She still was very concerned about patient's memory and wanted to find out if that was her baseline, if she had sufficient help to care for her husband and if this patient was safe at home. I was so impressed with her diligence and concern for the patient that she took time to call me to discuss the care of my patient and ensure she had proper follow-up. Wow! That doesn't happen that often and so it should be recognized when someone goes above and beyond the "standard of care", which she certainly did.
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I have worked with Ana for many years now. She has many strengths but her greatest is her ethic of care to her patients. I witness her in the procedural area where her contact with the patient is usually in recovery. Ana goes above and beyond to make sure the patient has all the knowledge they need when they leave but also that they feel that they were not just a part on the assembly line, but very special person that was given full attention.
Ana also brings knowledge from all areas of the hospital. Her knowledge base in lactation has helped our pregnant patients tremendously.
I am grateful when I see that Ana is our float for the day as I know I do not need to worry if her patients are getting what they need. I also know that if Ana needs help/information/guidance she will ask for it.
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Ana was floated to the Joint and Spine unit. A stroke alert was called overhead for a patient. As I arrived on the unit as the House Supervisor Ana was already pushing the bed down the hallway to CT. In my opinion Ana went above and beyond normal nursing care to see that this patent received the proper care. This patient was not assigned to Ana but she took control and moved quickly with her care. Ana stayed with the patient in the CT room and explained everything that was happening. Her compassion for this patient was above and beyond. Ana followed the patient over to the ICU and continued to care for her even though there were ICU nurses available. She kept the doctor well informed as well as the patient's husband. She took it upon herself to call St. Anthony's Hospital with report. Ana's critical thinking and compassionate care changed this patient's life forever. The patient was completely flaccid on her left side and the quick actions of Ana to get this patient the care she needed changed her outcome to a positive one. There were many team members involved with this patient but Ana's critical thinking and level of compassion was above and beyond.