Whenever Patient Care Transporter Andy Csermak gets called to move a patient within the hospital, the first thing he does is introduce himself and look at their identification bracelet.
When called to transport an elderly patient from the Intensive Care Unit to our 6 North Irving Unit recently, he noticed her birthday was that day.
“As soon as I brought her to the unit, I told her nurse it was her special day and we sang ‘Happy Birthday’,” Andy said.
That attentive and thoughtful gesture made the patient smile. And that, says Andy, is exactly what he hopes to do for Crouse patients every day.
In this case, however, he wasn’t done with his surprise. As soon as the patient was settled, he stopped in the Crouse Gift Shop and purchased a birthday balloon and flowers.
“I just want to treat patients like they’re my family,” says Andy. “What might be a little gesture for me to do can make a big difference to a patient.”
Andy has worked at Crouse for 28 years and calls himself a people person. “I think I’m here for a reason.” He says he enjoys getting to know patients and their families for the short time he interacts with them and hopes, however brief, their encounters make a difference in their day.
This wonderful story was shared not by Andy, but by the patient’s family. He certainly made the birthday gal, and countless others, feel special by caring deeper. He lives Carepassion at Crouse — and shares it with every patient he meets.
