Kendra Brown, a medical assistant at Swedish Downtown Primary Care, noticed one of her patients still sitting in the hallway after her appointment longer than usual. When she approached, the patient was sweating and in physical distress. Kendra got a nurse to assess the patient's low blood sugar. The patient was then sent to the hospital for further care. Kendra stayed with the patient until the ambulance arrived. Her actions exemplified compassionate care. Craig Cox, a patient service representative at Swedish Greenlake Primary Care, helped a patient with a dead car battery when approached by a coworker. After unsuccessful attempts to start the car, he called a tow truck. The patient was grateful for Craig's unexpected assistance. He

1. InspireConfidence@swedish.org
MEDICAL GROUP
ConneCt
with people
ease
patient access
aChieve
excellence
empower
through knowledge
partner
for success
ConfidenCeinspire
CELEBRATING EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE
‘Always trust your instincts.’ This is the thought that recently
went through the mind of Kendra Brown, a medical assistant
at Swedish Downtown Primary Care, as she saw one of her patients
still sitting on a hallway bench for more time than usual after her
appointment ended.
Although Kendra heard the patient say several times that she was
OK, it wasn’t like her to wait so long. When Kendra approached and
asked the patient if she was waiting for a ride, she became instantly
concerned when she saw that the patient was perspiring heavily and
showing signs of physical distress.
“She finally told me she didn’t feel well, so I grabbed the (triage)
nurse to see what we could do to boost her blood sugar,” says
Kendra, who knew that the patient had health issues with diabetes.
After the R.N.’s assessment and physician
assistance, the care team determined that
the patient needed to go Swedish’s hospital
campus for further care. “The best thing I
could do at that point was to sit with her until
the ambulance came,” Kendra says.
“Kendra was reassuring, confident and
supportive,” says clinic administrator Allan Geller. “She exemplified
the best of compassionate care in an ambulatory setting.”
When Kendra came to Swedish in February, she brought
both experience working with the elderly and a drive to continue
connecting with and helping patients.
“I try to get to know my patients pretty well so I can always
follow up with them and let them know they aren’t just another face
that comes through the door,” she says. “Then, they know you are
listening to them and care about what they told you.”
Kendra means what she says. She has called the patient every
morning since the episode in the clinic to make sure she’s OK and
taking care of herself.
“Because of Kendra’s actions,” says Allan, “our patient received
excellent quality care; a good relationship was made great; the
patient was kept informed about her condition and plan of action;
and our staff, collectively, was successful in maintaining our
patient’s health.”
Anyone who has ever owned a vehicle
surely can remember a moment when that
reliable form of transportation left much to be
desired. Whether it’s a flat tire, an empty gas
tank or forgetting to turn off the lights, there
are many things that can go wrong in the blink
of a check engine light.
Rather unfortunately, vehicle problems
are familiar to many of us. When Craig Cox,
a patient service representative at Swedish
Greenlake Primary Care, was approached by
his coworker to assist a patient with a dead
car battery, he knew the drill.
“I’ve run into this situation a few times in
my life, so I knew what he was going through,”
Craig says.
Although vehicle repair falls well outside his
healthcare job description, Craig didn’t think
twice about going outside to help the patient.
After a few unsuccessful attempts, it was
clearly time to call a tow truck. Even though
they weren’t able to get the vehicle started, the
patient was extremely grateful to Craig.
While Craig says what he did wasn’t
anything magical, it certainly was unexpected
and appreciated. “I care about providing the
service that I would want for myself or for a
loved one,” he says.
And he’s cared in all sorts of ways during
the four years he’s been in his role at Swed-
ish—even when it means helping with a car
battery.
“It revitalizes me to hear positive patient
feedback,” Craig says. “I want every patient to
have a great experience. I want them to come
back and to tell other people ‘Man, that’s a
great place!’ ”
December 2013, Vol. 1
SWEDISH GREENLAKE PRIMARY CARE
Craig Cox, patient services representative
Jumpstarting customer service
SWEDISH DOWNTOWN PRIMARY CARE
Kendra Brown, medical assistant
The power of observation