LVHN Celebrates World Kindness Day

Showing an act of kindness to someone is a great way to brighten a person’s day. Whether that be helping someone jump-start a car battery, leaving a couple dollars at the vending machine or making sure a person gets the care needed when sick, a moment of kindness has the power to make an impact. On World Kindness Day, let it be a reminder to do something kind for someone else, not just today but on any day throughout the year. Read on to hear about the random acts of kindness our colleagues at Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) have been doing in our community:

LVHN nurses do so much more than provide world-class care. They are renowned for their compassion and emotional support. Take Stacey Lang, RN, for example. One of her patients was nearing the end of life. The patient wanted to craft a letter to his 17-year-old daughter but didn’t have the strength to write. So, as the patient dictated the letter, Lang wrote down the words, and the patient mustered the strength to sign it. On the way home that night, Lang did something more. She bought birthday, graduation, engagement and wedding cards. Over the next few days, Lang and her colleagues wrote in the cards the words the patient wanted to share with his daughter during life’s milestones. He signed each one.

Everybody has things that they go through each day. Even the littlest thing can help make someone’s day brighter and better. That’s the way James Benco approaches his work as a technical partner on the transitional trauma unit at LVH–Cedar Crest. Watch this video, and you’ll see how Benco builds trust with his patients to provide the best care possible.

Before he began having classic symptoms that screamed “heart attack,” John Daley of Schuylkill Haven merely felt an uneasy sense that something wasn’t right. Unsure what to think, the 59-year-old retiree decided to ask his wife, Kelly Daley, RN, a nurse on the medical-surgical floor at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Schuylkill E. Norwegian Street. Halfway to the hospital, Daley realized that whatever was happening was getting worse fast. He found it difficult to breathe. Pain started radiating down his left arm. He arrived at the hospital, where he parked and went to the third-floor reception desk to ask for his wife. Guest services representative Rose Crochunis greeted Daley. She immediately saw he wasn’t in good shape and grabbed a wheelchair to transport him to the ER.

Kelly was starting her shift when Crochunis called. “Rose cared enough to get him the help he needed,” she says looking back at that critical moment.

About 25 minutes after arriving at LVH–Schuylkill, Daley was on a helicopter bound for the catheterization (cath) lab at LVH–Cedar Crest. He survived thanks to the lifesaving chain of events that began with Crochunis’ moment of kindness and quick action.

DAISY Award recipient Nancy Bledsoe, RN, makes it her mission to ease the nerves of both her patients and their families for the best possible experience. One patient had preeclampsia and had already been in the hospital for a few days. When she was induced at 36 weeks pregnant, Bledsoe was right there for her.

"When Nancy learned I was deaf and required a sign language interpreter, she was patient and kind," says the patient. "When I wanted to give up, she coached me through labor, and I gave birth to my son after nine hard pushes."

The newborn was transported to another hospital because of jaundice, and this new mom was worried. To ease her concerns, Bledsoe set up the Angel Eye Web-Camera System, allowing the patient to see her son. She even had a Mother's Day lunch delivered to the patient's room as a special treat.

"I thank her from my whole heart for what she did for me and my son," says the patient. "This is more than just a job to her."

It was a cold, dreary day in November when a 91-year-old woman arrived for an ultrasound test. Her 89-year-old brother drove her to the 5:30 p.m. appointment. While sitting in the waiting room, the brother became nervous and upset. Nichole Schmidt, RN, noticed his anxiety and went over to comfort him. When he told Schmidt he was worried he might have a flat tire, she accompanied him to the lobby and asked security to go with them to the parking lot. When they got to his car, they found not one, but two flat tires. He had hit something that cut both tires driving to the appointment. Schmidt immediately called a tow truck. When the woman was done with the ultrasound test, Schmidt called a taxi for their return trip home. She then followed the taxi, ensuring they arrived home safely.

“Nichole’s concern for the safety and well-being of this patient and her brother exceeds all expectations,” says Lacy Gashi, director of Diagnostic Imaging Services at LVH–Hazleton. “She took a very stressful situation into her own hands, which in turn provided these two individuals with comfort, compassion and relief.”

Long hospital stays can be an emotional time for patients. But an act of kindness can change their day for the better as they are on their road to recovery. Watch this video to see how urologist Shawn Mendonca, MD, lifted a patient’s spirit during his time in the hospital.