February 22, 2021 - TCO

Difference Maker: Sarah S.

When we ask patients and their families about their experience, we often hear it’s the little things that make all the difference.

Every month we recognize a team member who went above and beyond to make a difference in the life of others. Often they did something that, if you asked them, “was no big deal,” or “is just part of their job.” But the truth is, their actions inspired others around them.

As a small token of our appreciation for making our organization a better place, we partnered with local artist Claire Ward to create a one-of-a-kind piece of art featuring an image of the recipient’s choosing.

Today, we’d like to thank Sarah S. for being a Difference Maker.

Sarah’s Story

It was well past 5 pm on the Friday of a long holiday weekend.

Sarah, Dr. Andrea Saterbak’s clinical assistant, checked her voicemail one last time to make sure there was nothing urgent needing to be taken care of before her weekend started. Sure enough, there was one new message.

As Sarah listened, she knew it was something that could not be left until after the holiday.

By the tone of her voice, Sarah could tell the message was left by a mother who was not only concerned, but scared. Because of the long weekend, she couldn’t get her young son in to see Dr. Saterbak (his primary orthopedic physician) until Tuesday, and she feared his current sleeve brace wouldn’t protect him from further injury.

Instantly, Sarah knew she had to help.

Though technically she was “off-the-clock,” Sarah went above-and-beyond to make phone calls and arrangements, staying well beyond the end of her shift to secure an immobilizer brace from TCO’s orthopedic urgent care clinic in Woodbury and make sure the mother was comfortable with the plan in place until her son could be seen on Tuesday.

For Sarah, providing this kind of high-quality service is the norm, but for the family she helped, it meant everything.

Thank you, Sarah, for always putting the patients first. Your ability to make a true difference in the lives of others is simply amazing.