Have you ever been sad to leave the emergency room? Probably not, but that's because you've never had Tom take care of you. When I arrived in the ED, I was bawling, shaking uncontrollably and in excruciating pain. I wasn't making the staff's job any easier as I wasn't providing them with much information to work with. This was never an issue for Tom. His calm demeanor worked wonders on my condition, helping me to calm down. Tom has an incredible ability to pick up on patient tendencies that others may overlook. Without me telling him, Tom realized that I hate being stuck with needles and I get upset when I feel the sensation of pain medication being administered. He used his experience and expertise to work around this, making his job more complicated but me more comfortable.

Soon, I didn't notice he was giving me medication or coming at me with a needle. Despite working in the busiest place imaginable, Tom made the time to talk to me on both a clinical and personal level, which meant so much to me. He never let it show that he was busy and had a million other responsibilities. Tom makes his patients feel as though they are his priority. To Tom, the conversations we had may have been all in a day's work, but to me, this compassion meant everything, making my visit so much easier. He didn't just treat me as a patient presenting with a problem that needs fixing, but rather as a person who matters.

Every other ED staff member I came in contact with had such wonderful things to say about Tom, which truly displayed to me that he is such an integral part of his team and they enjoy working with him. Tom left such a lasting impression on me through his compassionate care. It is so comforting to think about the number of lives Tom has touched and will continue to touch in his career at ACMC. I will be forever grateful for him.