We had a patient on the acute pain service who was from Nevada with serious injuries from a motorcycle accident. He was a heroin addict and had a lot of difficulty with pain issues following surgeries. He was here for 24 days. As a team we worked to get his pain manageable and were able to get him on a good regimen. In his accident, he lost his I.D., phone, and all his personal belongings. The doctors were ready to discharge him. Because he had Nevada Medicaid, his insurance didn't cover anything in Utah. Social work was hitting dead ends. There were many times that the patient was asked to take care of finding out solutions to his problems which were quite complicated. Deb Davies, one of our acute pain service nurses, came in on Saturday and Sunday to assist in finding him somewhere to go since his discharge deadline was fast approaching. Deb worked very hard to call around to find him a pain clinic in Nevada that would continue his care. She worked with the trauma team to get him the prescriptions he needed until his pain clinic appointment. She worked with social work to get him clothes and shoes. She brought him a backpack from home so he had something to carry his things. Because of having no ID, getting prescriptions was difficult. Social work helped us find a pharmacy that would work with us. We were able to help him fill out online forms that enabled the pain service to pick up his prescriptions for him. Deb also made packets for him to take for future ortho appointments with copies of his consults, surgeries, etc. She also wrote a letter to his doctor explaining his progress and our recommendations, signed by one of our physicians. She kept him informed and updated. Deb was open about his addiction and challenges. She spoke with him about his progress and her belief in his ability to stay clean. Deb really went above and beyond to coordinate with the different services to make sure he had what he needed.

Deb is the epitome of compassion and caring. She treated this patient with respect and kindness. She treated him like he was the person he could be. She gave him hope and encouragement. She wanted to give him the best chance she could to stay clean. He often expressed his gratitude for her assistance and kindness. He seemed like a different person by the time he left. He showed a great desire to change. Deb set an example for the rest of us to care for others in a personal manner. She didn't take no for an answer but found a way around the difficulties. Her ability to coordinate with the other team members and increase communication between care coordination, the trauma team, and the pain doctors was exemplary. She impacted the other team members with her willingness to help this man and to see his value. She always serves in such a humble, unassuming manner. She is a joy to work with and teaches the importance of teamwork and giving it your all.