Barbara Oliver, Psychiatry, received the 2013 SPIRIT Award for Respect.

Oliver treats each individual with the highest professionalism and dignity:

In previous years, our nurse manager, Barbara Oliver, played a very different role in our department.  Select patients were “Barbara’s Patients,” and saw Barbara with the attending physician. Barbara developed special skills during her time with working with this population. She was able to become a master at finding financial assistance for medications, transportation, food, utilities and the like for patients that qualified. During the last couple of months, Barbara has expanded this “clinic” to be a support clinic for all psychiatry patients.  She is able to provide patient education, social services assistance and guidance to the patients who would otherwise not be able to afford their medications and therefore be non-compliant.  She is helping patients help themselves. Going above and beyond to make sure they have the tools needed to be able to uphold their end of the care plan established by the physician and the patient.  Sometimes it is simple, like answering a question. Other times, it is complex, like finding a way to help a Medicare patient afford their prescription, or assisting a patient with assistance programs to ensure he/she has a phone to call for help or questions.  While this has been a program in its infancy, so far, the feedback is wonderful. Patients comment with tears in their eyes about how much Barbara has helped them. It is a free service to our patients, but it builds relationships. Those relationships help keep patients compliant. Compliant patients are healthier and happier. That helps our satisfaction and our bottom line.