I need to let you all know that Chris Leyva is a GEM! I cannot thank him enough for being so kind and reassuring during both of our visits. The mom in me was panicking when we got there yesterday. Chris was patient and kind the entire time. His calm demeanor helped to calm my nerves. He moved quickly and with confidence. I’ve never worked in the ED but I know as a nurse in the clinic, at times it was easy to see things as routine and let burnout make me forget that what we see every day is not normal for everyone else. I didn’t get that feeling from Chris. He never made us feel like just another patient. For example, my daughter is terrified of stethoscopes and screams as soon as you pick one up. By the time we left last night, she was high-fiving Chris and when we came back today for a 2nd visit, she let him listen to her with no crying and then waved goodbye to him as we left. That is how much effort he put into interacting with her. He made us feel as if we were his only patient. He went out of his way, even though his shift was over last night, to find her a snack and milk, as I was not prepared to end up in the ED yesterday.

I wanted to let leadership know what a great experience we had. Nurses like Chris are so rare, at least in my experience. His compassion really turned a scary visit for us into something better. I’m thankful for the care we received in the Pedi ED. Everyone was truly great and moved so quickly to get us the care we needed. Makes me thankful to be working for UH and with you all. Thank you all so much for everything you do!