Patrick J Crisostomo, LPN

One rainy Friday afternoon, a Veteran arrived at ALVA PCC via cab after being discharged from Madigan. The Veteran wanted to get his motorized wheelchair from the Primary Care Clinic where he left it before being taken via ambulance to Madigan. He was double amputee and was unable to get off the salon cab into a wheelchair without assistance. The Fire Department was called to assist in lifting/transferring him but being a Friday evening, they were unavailable for immediate assistance. I called several places to see if we could get assistance with transferring the Veteran but had no luck.

When I called RCS/PT Patrick answered the phone and he not only gave me suggestions on how the Veteran could be transferred, but he went ahead and looked for a transfer board for this. He came down to the Clinic with it and together with the cab driver, he was able to safely transfer the Veteran from the cab to a wheelchair, then wheeled him to the former Urgent Care bay area, where a team had gathered to transfer the Veteran onto his motorized wheelchair. PVA Puget Sound Health Care Systematrick did not leave until the Veteran was safe in his wheelchair.

Patrick displayed courage and confidence throughout the process of assisting this Veteran. He was focused on serving the Veteran and no amount of rain or lack of sophisticated equipment deterred him from making sure that the Veteran was able to get onto his own wheelchair and catch the shuttle to Seattle on time. There was only one more shuttle left for the day. He ensured that the Veteran's dignity was maintained by taking care of him in his most vulnerable state. Patrick's actions on this day showcased the wonderfulness of teamwork and collaboration between various departments. He did not know the Veteran, neither did he work at the Primary Care Clinic - but he went the extra mile to assist this Veteran. Thank you, Patrick!