Recently, my 81-year-old mother was admitted to Vanderbilt Hospital and taken to the Transitional Care Unit. Honestly, I was not happy about this move because the last thing we wanted was to be in another hospital. She has several doctors at Vanderbilt, and all have been nothing short of amazing; however, after spending weeks and weeks in hospitals for over a year, the last thing we wanted was another hospital stay. My mother is battling pancreatic cancer, liver function issues, and has multiple back fractures. Once we arrived and were placed in the Transitional Care Unit, my opinion immediately changed.

Being in multiple hospitals, in multiple states, I have witnessed the good, the bad, and the very ugly when it comes to medical care. I have yet to see and experience the extraordinary, until now. Being in a hospital is not an easy experience. Besides the physical discomfort of what you're dealing with, there is also a level of fear and anxiety that comes along with it. All of this is elevated to another level in patients when they are exposed to medical staff who appear to be only "following procedure" or always seem to have a frown on their face. A smile and a kind word go a very long way. It's comfort food for the soul. Spoken words are only a small part of communication. Body language and facial expressions tell us much more about how the person really feels, especially when it comes from a person who is supposed to be caring for you.

From the moment we arrived in the Transitional Care Unit, Megan greeted us with a warm and kind smile, reassuring us that we would be well taken care of. Once my mother was settled in her room, Megan and the rest of the team went to work. I have never seen this level of compassion combined with a dedication to go above and beyond for the patient. What I witnessed and experienced firsthand was truly inspiring! I never saw her stop, and when she was busy providing other patients with the same level of care, someone else jumped in to assist immediately due to her incredible ability to communicate. It felt like my mother was the only patient in the unit. My mother was exhausted and honestly afraid of what was to come. My mother told me later that Megan comforted her and made her feel like everything was going to be ok. The ability to do that with patients cannot be taught. You must be born with it.

Hospitals are full of many good managers, with a small number of leaders sprinkled in. Megan is a true leader and should be utilized and treated as such. If other hospitals, both domestically and internationally, want to learn how to effectively address patients' physical needs while also making them feel like the most important patient in the world, they should send their teams to the Transitional Care Unit for training. I am very grateful for the care we received from Megan and her team!