The humanitarian category of Heart and Soul recognizes employees for acts of kindness and charity that promote the well-being or improves the life of someone in our community. It also includes actions of bravery, courage and selflessness.
When patients arrive at our emergency departments, they often bring a variety of social issues that can impact a safe discharge, which also means patient care may go beyond physical needs and require teamwork from multiple departments.
Recently, a young man who did not speak English came to the General Hospital ED. He had no ID, no family in the United States and no financial resources. The man had been trafficked to the U.S.
A social worker knew something was wrong when the patient kept crying, wanting to go home. He had learned that his mother in his home country of Guatemala was very sick.
For two weeks, employees in our case management and legal departments worked with the Embassy to obtain his identification and locate his father. After days of planning, this group was able to work out arrangements so the young man could return to Guatemala as well as provide him luggage, some clothing and money. It was even arranged for this individual to have an interpreter to accompany him on part of his trip to ensure he made it where he needed to safely.
Thank you to those who worked diligently and spent a great deal of time and effort to help this man return home.
