Tara Sullivan was unbelievably kind and patient when dealing with my father, T, a Chinese immigrant whose English skills are fading as he ages. Dad kept insisting he needed to see an oncologist for his bladder cancer, as he did not understand that his urologist is trained to treat it at the early stage. He also insisted on seeing a new doctor other than his own, as he wasn't convinced he had been diagnosed and treated properly.
In the end, Tara arranged for a different doctor to visit my Dad and called me twice so that I could be present. Even though the doctor does not speak my Dad's dialect, my Dad was comforted. Race should not play a role, but for an elderly Chinese man, it was important. Tara was very understanding and handled it with diplomacy and compassion. There can never be enough nurses like Tara. I worked in a hospital for 5 years so have seen many facets of patient care and this is one of the best!