When you’re struggling with a stressful health care situation, the last thing you want to think about is complex medical bills. Recently, a number of Adventist Health patients have discovered kindness in an unexpected but much appreciated place—a busy patient financial services (PFS) department.

Going the Extra Mile

Porshia Rogers is a patient account representative at Redbud Community Hospital (RCH) in Clearlake, Calif., and deals with patient billing on a day-to-day basis. She fields phone calls from patients inquiring about their bills. One such call came from an elderly woman who did not understand her bill and the outstanding balance. Rogers patiently reviewed the statement with the woman, explaining it line by line.

“Once the woman understood her bill, she felt a tremendous sense of relief and was anxious to resolve the payment,” said Rogers. “However, during our conversation I discovered that she did not have any way to get to the hospital.”

Without a second thought, Rogers left the office and drove to the grateful patient’s home to accept the payment and deliver a receipt.

“It’s easy to connect our mission of healing to health care providers like nurses, physicians and lab techs,” stated Joni McAllister, director of PFS for RCH. “We need to remember that we all play an important role in ministering to the whole patient and their overall hospital experience. Employees like Porshia are a wonderful tribute to those behind the scenes who touch lives everyday throughout Adventist Health.”

A Simple Shirt

While vacationing in the Napa Valley, a young man was unexpectedly admitted to St. Helena Hospital for an emergency procedure. Due to complications, the patient had to remain in the hospital and his wife stayed at his side. Liz Hoelle, lead admitter in the hospital’s admitting department, ran into the woman and stopped to ask how the couple was faring. “I’m okay,” the woman told Hoelle, “but wouldn’t it be great if I had brought along a clean shirt!”

Hoelle immediately sought out a clean shirt and delivered it to the patient’s wife, who was shocked by the unexpected kindness. “It didn’t take that much time or effort on my part to find a clean shirt for this woman, but I knew it was something that would make her time at our hospital more comfortable,” she recalled. “Sometimes it’s the small gestures of kindness that make the biggest impression with our patients. We’re all here to make their experience the best it can be.”

Offering Spiritual Support

Collecting money for hospital services can be a delicate matter, especially when a patient has passed away. Salvador Bermudez works as a financial counselor at White Memorial Medical Center in East Los Angeles and recently was assigned the account of a deceased patient. He worked with the patient’s mother and helped her resolve the account. However, it was his kindness, caring and spiritual support that made a lasting impression on the woman. He provided her with a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear. In a letter to Bermudez and the hospital the woman wrote:

“My family and I want to thank you for everything that you have done for us in a time of great need. You have helped us in every way. Life will never be the same for us, but I hope that you know that you have made a difference in our lives. Just knowing that you loved my boy makes me feel very special. You have gone out of your way in every sense and we will never forget your kindness.”

Life Long Friends

Pearl* is very special to Simi Valley Hospital’s (SVH) PFS department. As a young woman, Pearl was involved in a terrible accident that required several surgical procedures. Decades later, she continues to suffer from poor health.

When Pearl first contacted the hospital’s PFS department, she was upset about her numerous outstanding balances, because she could not afford to pay her debt. The department staff spent hours working with her and were able to help her get assistance. While her bills are now covered, Pearl still finds time to visit the department and her friends, whom she refers to as “angels.”

“Pearl loves to share photos of her medical procedures with us and always makes sure she sends us Christmas cards,” said Terri Booth, staff coordinator for PFS at SVH. “She even calls us when she leaves town and lets us know when she returns home safely.”

More Than Just a Job

Across Adventist Health, PFS employees live the mission daily. Often these encounters make lasting impressions on patients.

“Usually when you’re in the hospital, it tends to be a stressful time,” stated Frank Long, director of PFS for Adventist Health. “Treating our patients with caring and compassion throughout the entire health care process is essential to delivering whole person care.”

*Pearl is a pseudonym