Brett Wooldridge
March 2026
Brett
Wooldridge
,
RN
Med.Surg. (3West)
Prime Healthcare - West Anaheim Medical Center
Anaheim
,
CA
United States
That’s when Brett called – unbeknownst to me, the team at 3West realized that the timing wouldn’t work and went out of their way to get an exception for my kids to come and say goodbye.
My 95-year-old grandfather was admitted to the West Anaheim Medical Center ICU/CCU but was later transferred to 3West after our family decided to stop escalating care and focus on his comfort.
I'm a physician in Sacramento and flew down with my family after I heard the news – while I deal with this sort of thing all the time professionally, it is an entirely different thing to see someone you love, someone who raised you, and someone you’ve known your whole life, lying in a hospital bed, so frail and vulnerable. I forget how often patients are at the mercy of us caring.
Every time I walked in the room, my grandfather appeared comfortable. He had his dignity. Even when little things popped up (i.e., his roommate had fallen asleep watching The Exorcist at a fairly high volume). The entire RN Team responded promptly – it was so evident that they cared for him and our family. Even when there was slight confusion about his discharge plan. The RNs and case manager patiently listened to our concerns. Took multiple phone calls and found a solution that was safe and manageable for father and uncle (and grandfather). I’ve been at the receiving end of those calls before and know they are not fun!
It is the circumstances surrounding his discharge that I want to specifically thank Brett and the 3West team for. I knew it would be possible that the hospital wouldn’t allow my young children in to visit, but I flew down with them anyway, knowing I’d regret it if I didn’t try. Bret tried on Saturday to get approval, but he wasn’t able to. He was very apologetic, and while I was disappointed, I completely understood. We held out hope for seeing my grandfather at his nursing home the next day, but quickly realized that, with transport and a hospital bed delivery, there would be no way for my kids to say goodbye to their great-grandpa.
That’s when Brett called – unbeknownst to me, the team at 3West realized that the timing wouldn’t work and went out of their way to get an exception for my kids to come and say goodbye. We didn’t even have to ask. They got to hold his hand. They got to say goodbye and pray for him. They got to say they love him and that they’ll see him later. I knew that in the deepest part of my grandfather’s heart, he could hear all of these things. It is Brett's (and the team's) kindness that we will never forget. Thank you for bringing peace in my grandfather’s last days, and to all of us who will love him and miss him when he’s gone.
***
This is Brett's 2nd DAISY Award!
I'm a physician in Sacramento and flew down with my family after I heard the news – while I deal with this sort of thing all the time professionally, it is an entirely different thing to see someone you love, someone who raised you, and someone you’ve known your whole life, lying in a hospital bed, so frail and vulnerable. I forget how often patients are at the mercy of us caring.
Every time I walked in the room, my grandfather appeared comfortable. He had his dignity. Even when little things popped up (i.e., his roommate had fallen asleep watching The Exorcist at a fairly high volume). The entire RN Team responded promptly – it was so evident that they cared for him and our family. Even when there was slight confusion about his discharge plan. The RNs and case manager patiently listened to our concerns. Took multiple phone calls and found a solution that was safe and manageable for father and uncle (and grandfather). I’ve been at the receiving end of those calls before and know they are not fun!
It is the circumstances surrounding his discharge that I want to specifically thank Brett and the 3West team for. I knew it would be possible that the hospital wouldn’t allow my young children in to visit, but I flew down with them anyway, knowing I’d regret it if I didn’t try. Bret tried on Saturday to get approval, but he wasn’t able to. He was very apologetic, and while I was disappointed, I completely understood. We held out hope for seeing my grandfather at his nursing home the next day, but quickly realized that, with transport and a hospital bed delivery, there would be no way for my kids to say goodbye to their great-grandpa.
That’s when Brett called – unbeknownst to me, the team at 3West realized that the timing wouldn’t work and went out of their way to get an exception for my kids to come and say goodbye. We didn’t even have to ask. They got to hold his hand. They got to say goodbye and pray for him. They got to say they love him and that they’ll see him later. I knew that in the deepest part of my grandfather’s heart, he could hear all of these things. It is Brett's (and the team's) kindness that we will never forget. Thank you for bringing peace in my grandfather’s last days, and to all of us who will love him and miss him when he’s gone.
***
This is Brett's 2nd DAISY Award!