Gayla is the Clinical Lead of Allergy, but is always quick to remind us all that we are a team, and everyone matters greatly, including staff, patients and families. Often the same patients she once gave allergy shots to when they were children, return to the Allergy Clinic years later, to visit her when they have their own children. Gayla embraces all staff, never allows anyone to speak negatively about other staff, and is the glue that holds the Allergy clinic together.
When there is a frightened child in our clinic, Gayla always eases the child's anxiety, often having them push the buttons on the scale, distracting them with a song while they get their blood pressure taken, offering popsicles and movies after an allergy test. Nothing has stopped her for caring deeply for our staff and helping us all through our own stresses and challenges. She is one of those people that when she asks, "how are you?", she genuinely wants to know. If nurses have had a hard day in the Allergy Clinic, she generates enthusiasm with humor and optimism. When all other nurses, doctors and registration have left from the Allergy Clinic for the day, Gayla is usually the last to leave, as we ask her if she's leaving soon, she replies, "yes, I just need to call back a few patients before I leave for the day, I want to make sure they hear back from someone today, they left a message."
She touches everyone with her compassion, often giving environmental services staff treats as they walk through in the evening to clean our clinic. When my mother was in hospice last year, and I was faced with the challenges of this, Gayla was always supportive, always taking the time to ask how my mom was doing or if she could do anything to help or offer me support. She hugged me through the hardest time of my life when my mom was dying, always supportive, listening and arranging for coverage so that I could be with her at the very end of her life.
Gayla is the entire clinic's "go-to" person, nurses and staff know they can always approach her with a patient concern or question, she always has a great suggestion on how to resolve any problem or issue.
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She has made a significant difference in the lives of so many of our patients, and there is one particular immunology patient who has been coming to our clinic for years. He has recurrent infections and often had to be hospitalized because of his low immune system and constant illness. Whenever Gayla sees his name on the schedule, she always makes sure she is the nurse to call him back, to offer continuity of care to him - when she has a day off, he asks, "where's Gayla today?". This young man went through a time of serious depression, due to his constant infections and fevers, Gayla always went out of her way to talk with him, listen, and let him know how much she cared about him, and that things would get better. She has made such a difference in his life, and the lives of so many other patients and staff. We are all so blessed to work with Gayla - she exemplifies the "Everything Matters" NCH Standard, and the "Everyone Matters" in her daily job.