Maxine was nominated by a colleague in recognition of the compassionate and personalized care she provides - especially to our patients for whom Spanish is their primary language. The following is an excerpt from Mendoza's nomination:
Maxine, who is Spanish-speaking, has been spending the last several months volunteering to come down to the COVID-ICU and do ZOOM conferences with Spanish-speaking patients and their families. The patients and their families are so grateful for her willingness to help bridge the communication gap. As part of the health care team, we have been so grateful as well, as this helps us find out information about the patient and provide the family with the information they need.
One patient, in particular, has been in the hospital for more than two months. His family is very far away and unable to speak much English. Maxine has been going to visit him routinely so that he has someone at MercyOne with who he can interact more often. The compassion and generosity Maxine has demonstrated over these past few months have been instrumental in the care of these patients. She has truly made a difference, and I can't thank her enough!