It’s true. We are all capable of amazing and remarkable things. Even more so, we are responsible for ensuring the people in our care can do the same. It’s not an easy task, but the extraordinary outcomes we achieve make it worth every single ounce of effort. It’s the work of heroes, people who are dedicated to helping people live independent lives, and it does not go unnoticed.
Over the last 16 months, we’ve all been challenged, stressed, and exhausted. It’s been overwhelming at times, but we’ve managed to endure it all. We’ve kept going, adapting along the way, and we continued to raise the standard for the people we serve. We are the Healthcare Heroes of this era.
This is a series featuring employees who have gone above and beyond this past year. They have risen to the challenge and continued to serve our mission despite the struggles.
This month’s Healthcare Hero is Marie Kidd, a clinician in training with the PACT team in Helena.
Marie has shown an outstanding level of perseverance when working with one particular individual in the midst of a mental health crisis. This individual came to AWARE after a stay in the Montana State Hospital. She was on a feeding tube – having not eaten a traditional meal in nearly two years due to severe mental health symptoms. Shortly after entering our services and adjusting to living on her own, she came around to the idea of eating again and continued to show progress. She became more confident in her abilities and her independence in the community began to grow. Our PACT team would regularly check-in with her to make sure her needs were being met and that she continued to progress in her care.
One unfortunate day, however, the PACT team was unable to reach this individual at her home during a routine check-in. They feared she had gone missing.
Never one to give up, Marie made multiple calls around town and to local law enforcement. She was concerned for the health and safety of this individual and she wasn’t convinced that anyone fully understood the gravity of the situation. This individual had made so much progress recently and this was unusual. Marie frantically placed more phone calls until she eventually prompted a full search party in the mountains just outside of Helena, which was a likely place for this person to be.
At the end of the day, the search party was successful, and the individual was found in a small dried-up creek on the verge of severe dehydration. She was given proper medical care and returned to her home safe and sound. The individual had experienced a brief episode of psychosis. Had it not been for Marie’s perseverance this situation could have ended with a much different result. Instead, the individual continued care with AWARE’s PACT team and has since successfully completed the program.
Marie, your valiant efforts with this individual did not go unnoticed. We are extremely grateful for your dedication and commitment to the people in AWARE’s care. You are a true Healthcare Hero!