On a recent Monday, the emergency department was in dire straits. With more than 31 patients in the waiting room and bed availability in the hospital as a whole being low, staff were pulling together to meet the needs of both sick and critically ill patients wherever there was space. During all of this, a particular patient who had been waiting quite some time was assessed and could be diverted to receive IV antibiotics at the hospital's infusion center.
Michelle Peloquin was about to leave the center when she was advised of the situation and spoke to her coworker about getting the patient scheduled and on the needed medication. Michelle not only pleaded the case for the patient but also offered to stay and help. As I walked the patient to registration, she spoke with me about the gastric sleeve surgery she had earlier in the week and the complications arising since. She was upset about her post-op infection and blamed herself for going through with the surgery.
Michelle met us in registration. Her smile and upbeat personality immediately put the patient at ease. The patient's anxiety melted away and I saw her going to be taken care of by a top-notch nurse whose work is patient-centered. After the patient settled in at the IV Infusion Center, Michelle contacted me to clarify several things and to relay a request from the patient's surgeon about the continuation of a specific medicine. Michelle was very new to the infusion center's staff when this situation occurred, and it was an honor to meet her and witness the caring and compassion that she has for our patients.