Every day at Akron Children’s, we strive to deliver compassionate care and create positive experiences for our patients and families. This month, we’re spotlighting Lorraine Powell, a radiology support specialist on our Akron campus, who recently received the following feedback from a patient family:
“I just want you to know you have an amazing, dedicated, hardworking and efficient person that works for you in radiology. We have been going through some unique circumstances with our daughter having a blood clot in her neck. We have three teams working, not only at Akron Children’s, but now (another hospital) as well. Lorraine has gone above and beyond her duties and has helped us this whole week to get exactly the right care/test schedules with approval and everything. She has consulted other people to try and help us. She is a blessing to us, and we wanted to let you know. She is invaluable, and we just thank her! Please let her know how much she’s done for us and how thankful we are for her. If we could give her an award, we would. Please share this with her.”
How long have you worked at Akron Children’s, and what’s your role?
I have been at Akron Children’s for a little over two years, and I am a radiology support specialist. I schedule MRIs, CTs, ultrasounds, fluoroscopy exams and imaging that requires sedation. Also, I verify that orders follow Akron Children’s protocol, take incoming calls and make outgoing calls.
Reflecting on this patient experience and the feedback you received, how do you feel about it?
I was honestly shocked and very flattered. The parent was going through a lot with her child. The fact that she took the time to send an email was sweet and unexpected. It was very special, and I was honored by that.
As a radiology support specialist, how do you help families like this navigate their care?
In this patient’s instance, there was a blood clot involved, making it an urgent case. I am not clinical, so I consulted with the radiologists and techs to make sure we were getting the correct order. I made sure that all information was accurate with the insurance and the schedule.
What does patient- and family-centered care mean to you? How do you strive to deliver that care?
I take our motto — to treat every child as your own — to heart and put myself in the parents’ shoes. I can tell when parents are upset when they call in. I try my best to get their child in as quickly as possible. In this case, I spoke to the doctor on her cellphone after hours to make sure everything was correct for the patient. If there is a sedated case that is booked out a little bit farther, I try to move them up. I view it as, what if this was my child? How would I want someone to help me?
What do you most enjoy about your work at Akron Children’s?
I enjoy the interactions that I have with families. I try to joke around with nearly everyone on the phone, so it’s a good experience. I feel good about helping them. When I have called families to move up their appointment, I’ve had some who cry with relief on the phone. It is rewarding to help them.
