I was admitted to Southwest General after I was treated at the emergency room for pancreatitis. I was fortunate to have Chris Dooley, the day nurse for two days. Unfortunately, the CT scan taken while I was in the emergency room showed a cystic lesion on my pancreas. My mother passed away from pancreatic cancer when she was 72 and I am well aware of the seriousness of even just a cyst. Chris was extremely kind, compassionate, and professional and took excellent care of me. I’m embarrassed to say I did get a little hangry Tuesday. But he actually listened to me venting. Chris mentioned that when he can, he will fill out a patient’s chart in their room just so that the patient can have a little social interaction. My family visited me and would have probably slept in my room if I hadn’t sent them home. However, there are times when being around others who are not worried to death is a nice break and that was how Chris also helped me. I am an avid hiker and being cooped up in a room all day was torture. He gave me an extra gown to use as a jacket, and I was off cruising the fourth floor. As I walked past a room, a gentleman called out, “Please help me”. Fortunately, Chris was at the station working, and when I mentioned it, he immediately got up to see what was wrong. There was no call light on. His care and compassion certainly helped in my recovery, including my mental health. He is a tremendous asset to your staff. I retired after working for 43 years for the VA Regional Office. I always felt people who work in jobs helping others are the kindest individuals. Management let me know my work was appreciated which made a world of difference. Please let your staff know they are appreciated! Thank you.