Parting Thoughts

 

At a 50^th anniversary celebration for two dear friends, I remember telling a man I had just met that my husband and I worked at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

He told me a story about working in the Middle East where on one occasion he found himself so far out in the desert that he was sure he could not find his way back to his lodgings in the city.

A man from a local Bedouin tribe came to his aid and on the trip back asked where he was from in the U.S. He told him he had grown up in Baltimore and was greeted with a blank stare. He told the man it was near Washington DC. The man understood that he lived near the White House. He said “No, but its near there.” Another blank stare.

He didn’t think The Baltimore Ravens or Orioles would strike a note with someone who seemed to live so far removed from our “modern world.” In desperation and with a shrug he said, “Johns Hopkins Hospital is there.”

In this most remote corner of the world, the man’s face lit up.

“Oh! Johns Hopkins. I know Johns Hopkins!”

For 10 years I had the privilege of working in that amazing institution with a team of dedicated, caring healthcare professionals. Especially in view of the last 3 ½ years it bears mentioning that the majority of people who work in this field are extraordinary in their courage and compassion.

I was often impressed by the medical students I met. These brilliant and motivated young people could be a success in any field of endeavor, most of which require a much less arduous path. I was moved by the realization that they had seen suffering and wanted to help.

Working with a team at the Center for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery, I saw in many MDs and RNs that willingness to help relieve suffering, even in a group of patients whose beliefs presented an added challenge. Any institution, by choice or chance, establishes an organizational identity built on a set of distinctive and predominant values. The leadership of Johns Hopkins in the field of healthcare is built on putting patients first.

This work also allowed us to meet many talented and dedicated professionals from other parts of this country and the world. All of them exhibit that desire to work to relieve suffering wherever and whenever it is found. It has been an uplifting experience to know and work with all of them.

An inescapable takeaway from this experience has been the realization that life is a bright line. It is no less precious if the person has lived many years, is seriously ill, or if they are taking some of their last breaths.

The most lasting impression of these ten years is the power of believing. Many times, we have seen patients in the direst circumstance who held tightly to a strong faith, and that spirituality was key to their recovery.  Faith makes a difference. Ask anyone in healthcare.

In this divided, sometimes hate-filled world, it’s good to remember that there are many kind and caring individuals who work quietly in the background. They need to hear, as do all humans, that their efforts are noticed and appreciated. 

So, to all the skilled and compassionate providers I have met, and to many I have not met, you are noticed, and your efforts to alleviate suffering are appreciated.

Joan Pippa