Our intermediate family has been provided care by the CHI Health Mercy Corning inpatient care unit for decades. The quality of care has been top notch in all aspects of the standards of care. From my parent's illnesses and hospice care to my husband's medical care, the attentiveness and genuineness of treatment was a blessing to our family. Last June, our special needs son was admitted to the inpatient care unit after being expelled from a provider in the community. This experience was a precarious and complicated situation especially with the dilemma in our state with the mental health crisis and the lack of preparedness to implement the privatization of Medicaid. Due to the hospital intuitiveness, resource availability and exemplary care, our son was finally placed at Woodward Resource Center.
CHI Health Mercy Corning is not set up, staff or facility wise, to handle severe behavioral patients like our son but it was a case that he had nowhere to go due to the circumstances. I will never forget the sense of calmness when I met a nurse who had prior experience with mental health patients from another hospital. There was a non-judgmental understanding of what C needed to diffuse his anger outburst but at the same time ensuring the safety of the staff who were caring for our son. Her patience, yet her firmness with him was incredible to watch. Emily was never ruffled by the vulgar language or attempted aggressiveness he subjected her and staff during his fits. Our son was there close to a week. The constant brainstorming to try to reduce the number and length of his severe behavioral episodes was exhausting for all. She had the experience and knowledge to develop and implement a plan of action when one strategy was not working. Emily was always in control and modeling for other nurses on how to react to the continuous stress of as a result of his episodes.
We would like to recognize Emily for her poise, compassion, expertise and quiet, caring manner. She made this daunting experience for our family and friends a little easier to cope with. This quote sums up our feeling of Emily's character, "When someone is going through a storm, your silent presence is more powerful than a million empty words." Thank you, Emily, for sharing your gift as a nurse.