Weekly Tidbit #7A - Helpful Routines

Angela Zarnoti

This weeks' Tidbit is from Angela Zarnoti, business manager for the Hospital Medicine division at UT San Antonio.

Angela has been an active participant in implementing collaborative care there this past year, helping in many ways including planning, meetings, coordinating schedules, arranging filming of educational videos, and acting in the roles of patient and family member for many of the implementation simulations.

Recently Angela visited a friend in the hospital. 

This is her note:

            Just last weekend I was visiting a “sorta” family member in the hospital and had the oddest sensation. I kept looking over my shoulder to see the “poster paper-white board” with all the info and plans and tests and updates!  Alas, there just wasn’t one there……. even after looking back several times!!

 

            What a shame, since the patient wasn’t sure of much.  She had just learned she had major cancer problems. She couldn’t remember where all the cancer sites were, or when the oncologist was coming or what the plans were.  Other family members were flying in and they would have the same experience of not knowing any details. She was at a well-respected hospital and she liked her doctor that she had just met. But it felt just so lonely and disjointed compared to what I’ve seen Team 3 give.

 

            I guess it was like a Reverse Tidbit!

 

            Angela