Patient:
Alone in the Emergency Dept, breathless, I wait for you
Dr. Swati Mehta
“The Hospitalist will admit you” says the nurse, “she will come in a few.”
Muffled voices – masked faces bustle in & out of the room
Loud beeping machines & the rushed pace, fill me with gloom
You walk in the room, lean in to introduce
You tell me your name and what you will do
For a moment I’m more than a diagnosis, an H&P,
and then the fleeting connection passes, can’t you see?
You listen, seem hurried, but I think you care
Would you sit with me while my story I share?
Physician:
I do see you, I feel your fear & anguish
A moment to know you too, is all that I wish
How do I convince you that I truly care?
When, with all my tasks I have only minutes to spare
Patient:
You diligently ask questions from your checklist of H.P.I.,
Finalizing the diagnosis, when I hear your pager beep.
An admission awaits I know, but please sit by my side
Could we make our new-found meeting, a little more deep?
Physician:
The minute our day begins, it’s go-go-go
There isn’t a second to pause, inhale, or be slow
Missed lunch, it’s 6 p.m., bite to eat I dare?
My shift ended 3 hrs. back but I’m still here
Notes, DC summaries, calls to your PCP
Advocating for you, is more than a job to me.
Tirelessly I work, giving patients my all
Drained, exhausted yet, for you, standing tall
Our bond albeit short lived, is very important to me
Watching you get better each day, is fulfilling for me!
Patient:
You take time to ask about my family, about what I like to do
I tell you all about Beatles & my sweet grandkids
You sit & ask me “what matters most to you”
I reply: getting well for the wedding of my daughter “Sue”
Physician:
I sense loneliness engulfing you at times
Your fear and anxiety, I promise to help overcome
I will help you navigate this complex hospital stay
Together we will fight this virus or anything that comes our way
Each passing minute the line between doctor and patient disappears
That’s when we win over this virus, and hope replaces fear
Patient:
Every day you come see me, tell me my numbers are improving
I notice your warm and kind eyes behind that stifling mask
When they light up as you tell me I’m going home soon
I feel assured I mean more to you, than a mere task
Physician:
Each day I visit, together we hum “here comes the sun”
I too open up and share with you, my favorite Beatles song
Our visits cover much more than clinical medicine
True connection & mutual soul healing begins, before long.
Patient:
Today is the day, grateful to go home,
My body may be healed due to all the medicine & potions,
But my bruised soul was healed due to all your kind emotions.
Time to bid adieu Dear Doc – If I meet you at our local grocery store,
I promise I’ll remember those kind eyes, and wave
After all, you stood between me and death
I’m indebted to you, it’s my life that you did save!
Dr. Mehta is a hospitalist and director of quality and performance and patient experience at Vituity in Emeryville, Calif. She is chair of the SHM patient experience executive council and executive board member of the SHM San Francisco Bay Area chapter.
