Kathy always goes above and beyond for her patients and their families. During visitation, she always makes time to meet individually with every family to answer questions and address concerns.
Recently, a family had come to the West Campus for the first time with their mother who was battling dementia. Everyone was so anxious, but Kathy spent two hours with this family reassuring them that their mother would be safe and well cared for. She took the time to answer all of their questions, spoke highly of the staff that would be working with their mother, and showed them all through the locked Geriatric Unit to ensure they understood the processes and care their mother would receive.
*****
A patient was admitted to the Geriatric Unit after being placed in an assisted living facility and started experiencing a rapid decline in function. Because of Kathy's years of experience, it was clear to her that the patient was experiencing the decline that happens at the end of life. Kathy spent a great deal of time reassuring the family and making sure that the patient had everything they needed to remain comfortable until arrangements could be made for a discharge to go home with Hospice. This was so important to Kathy that even when she was off work, she called Case Management to check on the patient and to make sure they had all of the information they needed to facilitate the patient's transfer home. This family realized that Kathy's love for her patients and her dedication to providing the highest quality healthcare possible allowed them to spend the patient's last days with her, and she was able to pass from this world with the peace and dignity that Kathy believes all patients deserve.