I See! Thank God I See At Last
Recently I witnessed and was the beneficiary of
a miracle. Lawrence Hamburger, M.D., Medical Director of Ophthalmology at the
Henry Ford Health System’s Troy, Michigan office led the miracle. Dr. Hamburger
led; however, he would not have made it happen without the competent staff in
Troy and Sterling Heights, Michigan. I received no compensation for writing these
unsolicited comments.
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The success of the operation is a miracle;
in addition, so is the fact his team of professionals truly has empathy and
care for their patients. In these days of the internet and striving to generate
as much revenue as possible, this attention to the needs of the client is rare.
I am a terrible patient (customer). The
last operation I had was when I had my tonsils out at eight years old. That was
not a pleasant experience. The only good thing about it was it permitted me to
eat plenty of ice cream. At the time, my tonsils were fine, but the doctor
convinced my parents that since my brother needed his removed they might as
well get mine out at the same time. This background helps you to understand
that I was not at ease with the thought of someone taking a sharp instrument to
my eyes.
My pleasant experience at Henry Ford
started when the reception staff in Troy, Jean, Terry and Sharon, greeted me.
Within seconds, they pulled my file, escorted me to the waiting area and asked
if I would like a cup of coffee. At most, I waited five minutes before Kathy, I
believe, one of the technicians, escorted me to the testing area. Her demeanor
sent a message that she cared, wanted me to be comfortable with what she was
doing, and did a good job explaining what she was testing for at each station.
During my visits to this office, I have interacted with all of the other technicians
including Lorrie, Kim, &
Angelina. Truly, they are all professionals who care.
Before meeting Dr. Hamburger, I knew
professionals were taking care of me. Their actions showed that they cared
about me the person. I was not just another set of eyes for them to work on.
After Dr. Hamburger diagnosed my condition,
he turned me over to Sharon Hoste who schedules the surgery. She is a
professional and cares. She made sure I understood the entire procedure and
even followed up with two phone calls before my surgery date to make sure I was
comfortable.
The surgery took place in Sterling Heights
and I really thought that the treatment I received in Troy would not carry over
to the different location. Was I ever wrong! My appointment was at 6:45 AM and
I figured it would be like an oil change on my car; you take your car to the
mechanic and wait two hours before someone talks to you. I was sitting less
than five minutes before Kathy registered me and before I knew it Stephanie led
me into the prep area and assisted in getting ready for my first surgery in
almost fifty years. Once again, empathy and caring showed through. I knew that
I was not just another eye to work on.
The surgery team, including Dr. Wetzel, the
anesthesiologist
and a pre-operation RN, either Kathy or Linda, prepared me for surgery. Their
demeanor was professional and comforting.
The operation was painless and lasted no
more than 15-minutes. By 9:15, I was on my way home. Dr. Hamburger explained
every step he was doing. I have had two follow-up appointments to make sure the
result was as planned. In my eyes, no pun intended, the result is spectacular.
What can I say about Dr. Hamburger? He is a
pro at what he does. He efficiently diagnosed my problem and took the time to
assure I understood the total process I would be going through. I know he is
very busy; however, I also know he worked hard to make me comfortable with the
procedure I was about to undertake and succeeded in demonstrating that he would
do everything in his power to make the outcome to my satisfaction. He exceeded
my expectations. Many doctors have an attitude that since they are doctors they
know everything. This was not Dr. Hamburger. He cared.
I spent most of my working career as a
member of senior management at financial institutions, including a CEO. I took
a great deal of pride in developing a staff that was “In Search of
Excellence”. It appears that Henry Ford,
certainly in Troy and Sterling Heights, share the same values. Service at the
level I received does not happen without the commitment of management.
Therefore, take a bow. You too deserve the credit for building a great team.
I will let you know how the operation on
the left eye goes in late May. I expect it too will go well; however, I keep
telling myself not too expect another miracle. With the team at Henry Ford Troy,
I may be surprised.
Thank you HENRY FORD!
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