Christy King never fails to display extraordinary empathy and compassion for all the patients and families she comes into contact with. She possesses one of the best bedside manners I've seen, and she always has a smile for everyone. Her smile has definitely made my day a little better, more than once! Even if her day is incredibly busy, she has a gift for focusing on the specific patient before her and making them feel seen, heard, and understood. I can't count the number of compliments that have come to me in the wake of her visits; they always reflect on how clear she was with her explanations or how kind she was. None of this ever surprises me, as I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Christy for a while now and witnessed all of this myself, time and time again. Christy goes above and beyond in thousands of little ways every day, but there's one recent story that stands out to me as an example of this.

Not very long ago, I had a patient facing frequent hospitalizations due to multiple comorbidities. As the medical team rounded and a lot of information was thrown at them, the patient and family grew emotional. After probing, I found they were worried about the future and unsure of what the next steps were or what would be best. I noticed the palliative team had been on the case at one point, but it was unclear whether or not they were still following along. Thus, I messaged Christy and asked if the palliative team was still following, all the while planning to bring it up to the patient's attending provider to address the concerns, especially if the palliative team had signed off. Next thing I knew, Christy was in the room. "Are you guys even still on?" I asked. "No," she answered with her characteristic smile, "but what's going on?". Despite my assurances that she didn't have to step in when her team had signed off, she graciously, yet firmly, insisted that she could talk to the family. She pulled them into a conference room and spent at least an hour walking them through the patient's prognosis and options. It ended where it had begun, with us pursuing the patient's original goals. However, when I later went into the room, there were still some emotions, but also a distinct sense of peace that had not been there before. I genuinely believe that was due to Christy taking time out of her busy day to meet the patient and the family where they were at, acknowledge everything they were feeling, and empower them with the knowledge they needed to move forward. And this patient wasn't even technically her patient anymore.

This story is just one of the many that could be told about Christy and how hard she works to meet the needs of patients and their families with true empathy. I am so thankful I get to work alongside Christy, and I definitely couldn't ask for a better colleague for her position. Thank you, Christy, for always going above and beyond every single day!