Melissa Dorsey, RN, manager of the Multi-Specialty Surgery Center, leads with her values and ensures each and every patient is treated with compassion.
As the manager of the Multi-Specialty Surgery Center, Melissa brings energy, enthusiasm, and daily involvement in all aspects of the care being delivered. The patient satisfaction scores are high, as well as associates. Every day, I see her display our IU values, but in one recent situation, she was exemplary.
A patient who lived 3 hours away arrived for his surgery just as his COVID results came back. He was positive, so his case had to be canceled.
The patient did not have anyone to drive him, so he had taken a cab, and was alone. Melissa was informed of the situation, and immediately started to take action. She saw him sitting outside, in the cold, and brought him a warm blanket. She found out he did not have a phone and had no idea how he would get home. Although not ideal, Melissa found him a place where he could be isolated inside the building and got to work to find a solution. She spoke with the surgeon, social work, administration, and the police. Multiple agencies said they could not help.
As time progressed, Melissa offered the patient food and drinks, and when he stated he needed to use the restroom, brought him a commode. She finally found a cab service, and the patient was able to return home. In her true humble fashion, she questioned whether she had done enough. In normal circumstances, this would have been a bad situation, but even with the challenge of COVID, Melissa treated this man with compassion, dignity, and humanity.