Twelve St. Mary’s Clinicians Receive Kudos
Recent L.O.V.E. Award Nominations:
Shefta Akhunji, MD, has an amazing persona about her. That makes you want to listen to everything she says, and she backs up everything she says with facts. She is probably the best hospitalist I’ve ever met in my life, and since I work with positions, I’ve met plenty. She is personable, very, very knowledgeable, and thinks through every decision she makes. She also explains things in a manner that is very understandable. I’m already a positive person, but she really showed that she cared about my health and made me want to get better and be absolutely 100% compliant with everything that I was told to do.
Elizabeth Arena, DO, was my mother's doctor for years. She recently became my doctor as well. My mother suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and breast cancer for years. Dr. Arena gave her excellent care and compassion. Dr. Arena has also provided the same excellent care to me. She was the one who helped diagnose a severe problem in my neck, which led me to have life-changing surgery. In addition, my mother passed away two years ago, and Dr. Arena has supported my mental, emotional, and physical health during this time. Dr. Arena makes sure she provides the highest quality care to her patients. I never feel like a number, problem, or disease to her. She takes the time to truly listen. She is open-minded, knowledgeable, and I feel truly cares about me as a person and my success.
While performing an emergency appendectomy, Kristen Ohe, MD, recognized a rare and aggressive appendiceal cancer, which usually requires a second surgery to remove part of the colon. She initiated a video consult while she still had me open on the operating table to confirm that what she was seeing was goblet cell adenocarcinoma, and she should take the colon now and not subject me to a second surgery. Lab results later confirmed she was correct. I am very grateful. I recovered much quicker and was able to start treatment sooner for this rare and aggressive form of cancer.
Every day we face hard and challenging decisions while working in health care. Lately, we have had a long-stay patient who has required immense time, empathy, compassion, and patience. Kathryn Spangler, MD, has been a fierce advocate for this patient and made a great effort to ensure his wants and wishes are at the center of his medical care. Despite challenges outside of our hospital's control, Dr. Spangler continues to do what is best for the patient, even when it causes her moral distress; she puts him first. It was because of Dr. Spangler that many different members of his medical team joined together weekly to make sure that we were acting with respect and keeping the patient's quality of life at the forefront of his care. Without her knowledge and advocacy of this patient, he could have been lost in the day-to-day of a long-stay patient. Her time and effort during her time with this patient made a great impact and showed how highly she values collaboration, acting with purpose, and how much she cares for her patients.
This is for the whole staff that helped me in my darkest hours. Allie Trudel, MD, took additional time to help me understand what was going on with me. I feel the best I have in years because she showed me a way forward. She was understanding even though I was a poor patient.
Compliments from Patients:
I want to thank William Hilty, MD, so much for the fantastic care while I was in the ER with a broken wrist. When I met with the University of Michigan orthopedic team, they were incredibly impressed by the reduction he performed. They actually ended up recommending that I don't need surgery because he was able to realign the bones so effectively. I also appreciate how quickly he was able to evaluate and treat me, and I particularly appreciate him taking the time to speak with my mom and walk her through our options so patiently. Dr. Hilty and his entire team made a hard day a whole lot better, and I just wanted to let him know how much his work is appreciated!
Colleague to Colleague Compliments:
Thank you to Shah Zaman, MD, Allie Trudel, MD, and Zane Scott, DO, for your professional and compassionate approach to a very challenging patient situation. Through it all, you never lost sight of the human side of this patient.
As I approached the stairs by the coffee shop, I noticed a spill and a wet floor sign at the top of the stairs. I was about to warn two women in scrubs, only to recognize them as two of our Orthopedic APPs, Olivia Haver, PA, and Camdyn Murray, PA, paper towels in hand, bending to clean the spill before it could cause any harm, saying ‘our service has enough business already.’ This seems like such a small thing, but it demonstrates our value of doing the right thing and showing empathy to ALL, even to the unknown people who might find themselves in harm's way. What a great example of supporting our culture of safety. Thank you!
During a recent Saturday, our Blood Bank and OR teams demonstrated the strength of their teamwork. During a Mass Transfusion Protocol, Blood Bank staff worked seamlessly with our OR partners to ensure timely and safe blood product support for a patient in critical need. Tara Marshall, MD, played a key role in maintaining clear communication with the OR regarding blood supply and utilization. This event exemplifies the power of collaboration, accountability, and unwavering commitment to patient care when it matters most.