“I don’t know how your staff do what they do”

I want to write you regarding a couple of your staff members. We came to learn the staff members’ names by asking other staff. This would be Eric Ko and Wendy.

The time was approximately 0300 as I entered the ED with my friend and her baby. I heard Code Blue over the PA, and looked to see that is was the clerk behind the window on the PA. She smiled at us, and waved up up to the window. As we were digging for our care card, she was trying all she could to locate my friend’s son in the Richmond system.

At the same time, a man came through the front door, yelling that his girlfriend had overdosed. The clerk excused herself, and went to the door, and called a nurse to get him help. They all seemed to know without using any words what people needed. The clerk then asked us and another mom and family to go into the waiting room and have a seat. We did as she asked, and she assured us that she’d be back just as quickly as she could…A few minutes later, another Code Blue was called for another patient. While we waited, we wondered how these people (staff) do this? And, were were also thinking it would be quite a while before we would be seen by anyone.

To our surprise, the clerk returned and came to the waiting room smiling, and invited us to her desk. It hadn’t been very long at all. She had a smile that just radiated. Next we saw the triage nurse, Eric. He was amazing with my friend’s baby and her concern with the fever. His soft-spoken words eased my friend beyond what I could do.

What is important to say is that my friend and I thought that after hearing two Code Blues, we shouldn’t be in the ED. Wendy and Eric individually made us feel like our situation was just as important, and I can’t remember a time when I have felt that “these people really care, and are right where they belong.”

I don’t know how your staff do what they do. We are just very grateful for Wendy, Eric and all of your staff for doing a job that is often thankless and, at times, heartbreaking.

-A grateful bystander