Wednesday | A Taste of Flava

The One on the Other Side of the Call

Dear Friends,

This morning, I received a call from a patient who lives on the other side of the mountains.

She is dealing with significant spine problems and wants to be seen by one of our surgeons. However, she does not have current imaging, and traveling to Seattle from Eastern Washington would be a major undertaking.

I did not want her to make that trip without first understanding what would be needed to move her care forward.

So, I slowed the conversation down.

I explained that she should contact her primary care provider and request a referral. I told her to have the provider include the medical records and notes related to her spine condition so that everything could be reviewed before she attempted to travel across the mountains.

She wrote down everything I told her.

Before we ended the call, she thanked me for my kindness and for giving her all the information she needed to take the next step.

And honestly, I was grateful that I received her call.

I have said many times that I believe certain patients need me to be the person on the other side of the phone.

Not because I know everything.

Not because I can solve every problem.

And certainly not because I am trying to step outside of my role.

But because I understand what it feels like to be a patient trying to navigate a complicated healthcare system while also living with pain, limited mobility, uncertainty, and fear.

I am not only an employee where I work.

I am also a patient within the same healthcare system.

I understand the challenges of referrals, medical records, imaging, transportation, long hallways, elevators, mobility devices, and waiting for someone to return a call. I know that what may sound like one simple appointment can require a patient to plan an entire day—or sometimes much more.

That personal understanding changes the way I listen.

There is value in being an older employee with decades of life experience and wisdom behind me. I have cared for people. I have advocated for family members. I have worked with patients during vulnerable seasons of their lives. And now, I am navigating my own health challenges.

All of those experiences come with me when I answer the phone.

Sometimes a patient does not need someone to rush through a list of requirements.

They need someone to explain the process in a way they can understand.

They need someone to consider the distance they must travel.

They need someone to recognize that pain and fear can make it difficult to process information.

They need someone willing to pause while they find a pen and write everything down.

That is how I show up for the patients who need me.

My greatest recognition does not always come through workplace awards or formal acknowledgments. Many of my most meaningful kudos come directly from patients.

When a patient thanks me for my kindness, patience, or helpfulness, I know I have done more than complete a task.

I have made a difficult process feel a little less overwhelming.

I have helped someone understand what comes next.

And I have reminded them that there is a caring human being on the other side of the phone.

That is when I know I am valued.

Today, one patient called looking for direction.

By the end of our conversation, she had a clear path forward—and I had another reminder of why I continue to show up.

Sometimes the right call reaches the right person at exactly the right time.

Today, I was grateful to be that person.

That’s today’s Taste of Flava. 🌻

From Flava in Her Tower 🌻