“I treat our patients the way I would want to be treated as a patient in the hospital. Each day, I’m in their rooms to make sure they have what they need and I spend some time with them. It creates a positive environment and helps their recovery. I love to see my patients get better and it makes my job even more satisfying to know I’ve done something special to help them. Recently, a mother who had two daughters recovering on our Bariatric Surgery unit, told me she felt better about leaving her daughters because I was always in the room checking on things. Attention and friendliness are what really matter to patients. They’re usually scared and they don’t want to be left alone. When I’m off duty, I’m always reading about what I can do to improve myself and how I take care of people. The more I read, the more I learn, and it helps me to relate to each patient.”
Mary Ann Blackstone is a patient care partner on the Bariatric and Medical-Surgical units (3 North) at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital-Warren Campus. She also is a nursing student at a local college. Over the past year, she has earned 81 Shining Stars from hospital staff, patients and visitors in recognition of her patient care skills and compassion. She also was the 2005 recipient of the Dr. Clark J. Okulski Award for Service Excellence in Patient Care.
