We had a patient we were caring for overnight in the ER who was sick and needed an emergent surgery that we could not do at our local community hospital. The patient had come to the ER by themself with their big dog in their vehicle as they didn’t have anyone who could watch their dog. The patient didn’t have a good choice in this situation. Kristi talked with the ED tech, who had a dog kennel and they arranged to get the dog to the kennel in the middle of the night in the middle of the COVID pandemic. It was a team effort that Kristi initiated, insisted on, and made happen so that the needs of the patient could come first.

Assisting in the patient’s care as the provider, all I can say is how amazing it was to see Kristi in action. It was one of those moments in a dark time that reassured my faith in humanity and was a pure expression of kindness and compassion. The important thing to note is that this was not a one-time random act of kindness. Kristi does this every day and every shift for every patient that shows up to the ER whether they are kind, difficult, intoxicated, etc.

Just last week, we had a challenging patient that Kristi video chatted with their family to update them, three times. Yes, three times. She embodies compassion and the virtue, “The needs of the patient come first.” In this era, where we are all stretched too thin and burned out for a multitude of reasons, Kristi continues to give each patient the time and care they deserve.

None of this is meant to overshadow her excellent clinical skills. She can get the IV that no one else can get, and if she is worried about a patient, I know I need to be too, as she has excellent clinical acumen. If I or a family member were to be sick, I would feel extremely lucky and know that we were in the best hands and everything would be all right if Kristi was caring for us.