From bedside nursing to care management planning, Ginger always has the patient's best interest in mind. She is non-judgmental, compassionate, and provides exceptional experiences with every patient and peer touch. Her smile is genuine and her concern for her patients is evident by her excellent outcomes. Ginger's continued commitment for excellence guided her to obtain her BSN.
She took it upon herself to develop a tool for her peers and to further educate her patients on the effects of methamphetamine abuse. The new SBIRT program, which is a prevention and education opportunity for patients to help against addiction of alcohol and drugs, lacked additional information on drug addiction. There was an existing alcohol tool but not for drugs. Ginger, independently, did the research and developed an informative, descriptive (pictures included of how this drug physically affects the body), and a factual synopses of the damage this drug does to the body. The handout will help educate our patients in a powerful, visual concept technique that they can understand the terrible results that can come from drug addiction.
Ginger's best quality is her compassion for others. She recently was out to dinner with her husband and she noticed a man with his service dog across from them in a booth. He was disheveled looking, appeared hungry due to the way he was eating, and very loving toward his dog. Ginger later that week saw this man again but this time in the Emergency Department. He had become her patient and she remembered him from the restaurant. She met with him and began planning. He had a very sad story and needed help. He was homeless and very far away from his family. He had a son, who was about 10, living with his parents back East and another service dog he had for many years there too. He was too embarrassed of his situation to ask his family for help, he was a proud man. To make a long story short, as this plan took a week and a half to complete, Ginger had, after many phone calls and interactions with many different people and agencies, found a way to help this homeless man return to his family and have a second chance at life. Ginger was able to arrange for the man's family to send an airline ticket, waiting for him in Portland. She also arranged for transportation to the airport from Salem and a pickup location and time to meet the arranged transportation to Portland as the man was living on the streets, not a shelter.
The heartbreaking fact was that this man could not take his service dog with him. He didn't want to leave his dog and refused to place the dog at the pound or the Humane Society. Ginger was able to talk the man into giving up his loyal service dog if she could find him a loving home. After multiple calls and one failed adoption attempt she was able to find his dog a loving, caring home, and the man was agreeable to release his dog knowing he would be cared for and loved. Ginger also, with her own funds, provided this man with a gift card to obtain clean clothes and food for the trip. She provided him a contact number so they could keep in contact during the wait time for his departure. Ginger treated this man with respect, compassion, empathy for his situation, and the man knew he truly did matter; she made an impact on his life that will stay with him forever.
This man was reunited with his son, his parents, and his old service dog. He was able to be with his family and start life again. He texted Ginger a photo of him with his son and his service dog with the biggest smile! A happy ending because of Ginger's exceptional planning, compassion, and drive to help others.
Salem Hospital is lucky to have such a heartwarming, dedicated, compassionate talent as Ginger O'Reilly.