Security helps distressed patient find her way home
Panicked ER patient reconnects with family thanks to officer with cool head and warm heart
Compassionate problem-solver might be a better job title for Mike Hanby, a security officer at PeaceHealth in Longview, Washington.
He was working one day in the emergency room when he saw one of the discharged patients in distress. She was finished receiving treatment, but was having a difficult time collecting herself enough to call for a ride home.
Mike stayed with her, gently offering reassurance while trying to contact her family using the phone numbers she gave him. Unfortunately, every number was either incorrect or disconnected.
Tapping into his 22 years of security experience, he turned for assistance to the police department in the patient’s home in Oregon, about 50 miles away. During the wait for a call back from law enforcement, Mike sat with the patient, continuing to be her source of security.
Before long, the patient’s spouse and brother called to say they were on their way to pick her up. She immediately calmed down. While she waited for her ride, Mike checked on her regularly until her family arrived and she was safely on her way.
Staff nearby watched the entire set of events unfold and noted how incredibly grateful the patient and her family were for Mike’s calm, caring action.
