Road trip emergency: POP Award honors creative care in ED

This month's Point of Pride (POP) Award was presented to Emergency Medicine Clinical Research Coordinator Donovan Nielsen. The POP Award recognizes that every day, countless actions of empathy and kindness – large and small – take place across our health system.

Donovan was working in the Emergency Department when a patient and her daughter came in. They had been involved in a motor vehicle accident while traveling to Southern California to drop the daughter at college. After they pulled over on the highway due to car trouble, a big rig swiped their car, injuring the mother.

Stranded with all of her items for school and standing outside of the Emergency Department, the daughter was unable to visit with her mom.

Donovan found temporary storage space for the boxes and suitcases and got some carts so they could be more easily moved. He also secured meal vouchers for the daughter and mom.

Fortunately, mom was discharged fairly soon. He helped locate the daughter and unite them, making sure mom had all her after-visit paperwork. Then he helped push the carts to the front of the hospital where the family had arranged transport to finish their journey to Southern California.

Joleen Lonigan, Associate Chief Nursing Officer, and Kimberly Bleichner-Jones, Associate Chief Operating Officer, presented the POP Award to Donovan. 

"Your kindness and quick thinking in helping this family during such a stressful time exemplify the very best of our team’s commitment to compassionate care," said Bleichner-Jones, who added that, as a mother herself, she was especially touched by his thoughtfulness.

Congratulations to Donovan on his POP Award!

Do you know an employee who goes above and beyond for our patients? Nominate them for a Point of Pride (POP) Award now!