Students at Aspirus

A patient was dropped off at the Aspirus Langlade Hospital emergency department with his dog by taxi. The patients dog needed to be treated. The dog was his service dog. The taxi driver told the patient the Aspirus Langlade Hospital emergency department could treat his dog, which they could not. An employee got coverage for her shift, took PTO, and drove the blind man and his dog to the local vet to be treated.

On a particularly cold winter day, one of our greeters noticed that a patient in a wheelchair didn’t have any gloves. The greeter gave away his own gloves to the patient, despite the fact that the greeter’s job required him to stand outside and assist patients. The greeter only shared this story with me because I asked him why he wasn’t wearing any gloves on such a cold day.

Our department has a true Santa. Gary Johnson is a housekeeper on the MAP unit, but this time of year he doubles as Santa. He shops all year round to bring gifts to many staff and patients. He’s the real deal. Snow white hear and beard, carrying his big red bad of goodies, putting a smile on everyone’s face. He got many of the new staff in our department to do a Secret Santa drawing. This was such a positive. Gary training many new staff members and they have many kind things to say about his skills. He always makes time to inform, help, talk or give direction to co-workers and customers. We are so proud of this Santa.

An 18-year-old male patient was getting an infusion over lunch time. He was offered a soup and sandwich while infusing. He was there with his mom. The Infusion RN heard his mom lean over and whisper to him “Please eat now because we don’t have any food at home.” When the RN was done serving all the patients, she had soup and sandwiches leftover. The young man and his mother were the last ones in the infusion center that day. The RN knew they had no food so she packed up the leftovers and said to the family that we cannot serve to patients next day so they can take food home. She then rallied the staff for connections to local food pantries. “Nobody should have to be hungry!”