On a late September evening, I brought my brother, a Desert Storm Veteran to the emergency room at the Madison VA hospital. He had fallen down his basement steps and injured his already injured back. We were greeted by Joi, ER Nurse, who gained his trust by listening to every word, offering comfort, and compassion with attention to detail regarding my brother’s symptoms. She strongly encouraged my brother to describe in detail to the provider his inability to walk. There was uncertainty if he was going to be admitted.

After a couple of hours, a CT scan, X-Rays, etc. it was decided to send him home if he could walk safely. There was no evidence of injury on his films. He has great difficulty lifting his left foot and walking, even with a walker, he felt unsafe. Joi was there listening and observing every step and was afraid he would fall again. Joi was an advocate for R, encouraging him to “push” to get the right level of care. She treated R with respect and dignity, acknowledging his concerns. His comfort was her main concern, helping him walk with a walker, sit, and attempt to roll on his side. As hard as he tried, he was not able to walk. Joi made him as comfortable as possible, and was respectful, professional, and diligent in getting him the level of care he needed.

He was eventually admitted and found to have multiple pelvic fractures that were causing his inability to walk. He was admitted to the rehab unit and is progressing well with hopes of discharge this week. His rehab nurses were excellent as well and he has never received such great care. The Madison VA should be proud of choosing a team that is so understanding, compassionate, and caring to our Veterans. We are so grateful. A special thank you to Joi, on that late evening shift for her compassion, professionalism, advocacy and just being there for my brother. We appreciate you and your fellow staff.