Pullman Regional Hospital’s Guardian Angel Grateful Patient Program provides patients and loved ones a way to say “thank you” to a caregiver. If a physician, nurse, staff member, or volunteer has brought comfort to you in your time of need, please consider recognizing them with a gift to the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation. Gifts to this special program pay tribute to the outstanding caregiver while helping provide resources for the hospital’s highest needs.
Shelley Bull honored Corey Johnson, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) with Pullman Anesthesia with a Guardian Angel Award for the care he provided her father.
“As an employee of Inland Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine Clinic, I walk the halls of Pullman Regional Hospital almost every day. I am fortunate to work with many outstanding individuals at Pullman Regional who show such compassion for our patients. This is why, when my parents’ health started to fail, there was no question where we could receive care,” says Bull.
Bull’s parents have complex health needs: her mother has stage 6 Alzheimer’s, and her father is a disabled veteran, as he has significant injuries to his legs and feet from serving in the Air Force in Vietnam. Bull notes that “being diabetic and having a combination of respiratory and heart issues excludes him from certain surgeries or treatments due to the risk.”
Recently, the pain in her dad's legs and feet was causing numerous falls. With the risk too great for a surgical procedure, it was recommended that he be seen at Pullman Regional’s Interventional Pain Management Clinic. “The team at the Pain Clinic embraced all his issues and put together a treatment plan that we never thought possible. I want to recognize their whole team, but especially Corey Johnson, CRNA, for the selfless care and incredible compassion he showed my Dad,” says Bull.
“Corey went above and beyond when we started this journey. My dad had a late afternoon appointment and was in so much pain. Corey was determined to stay with him through the x-rays that followed and helped develop a plan that would give my dad hope for a better quality of life. Corey sat with us for several hours, and I remember finally going home with a plan at 8:30 that night! I cannot thank the team and especially Corey enough,” emphasizes Bull.
“Our journey is ongoing, but the compassion shown will impact me and my parents for a lifetime. We have been so fortunate to have a team of healthcare angels at Pullman Regional that includes Primary Care, Palliative Care, Pullman Foot & Ankle and, of course, the Emergency Department, which both of my parents have visited on many occasions. Being an only child, I could never do this alone. I am grateful for the village of guardian angels that help make life just a little (lot) easier,” says Bull.
Wondering how your caregiver gets recognized? After you or your family makes a donation to the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation in honor of the caregiver, the Guardian Angel will be notified of your generous donation. The Guardian Angel will receive a custom-crafted angel pin to proudly wear on their lapel. Their name will be published in the Foundation’s Annual Report, internal hospital communications, and recognized at hospital events.
If you’d like to learn more about the program or honor a Pullman Regional caregiver who impacted you, information is available on the Guardian Angel Program webpage.