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Barnes-Jewish Hospital Patient Advocate Shares Her Story

Posted By: Patrick Donovan meta_seperate Date Posted: January 28th, 2011 meta_seperate Category: Caregiving

BJC HealthCare employees share a common goal – helping those in need. For our patient advocates, their goal is to ensure the hospital experience is a positive one.

Patient advocates are there to listen to the suggestions and concerns of patients and their families and promptly respond to them.
 
Carol Brazeale is a patient advocate at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. She wanted to share why she finds her job so rewarding:
 
“My husband and I moved to St. Louis in June 2010. I had made a conscious decision to quit my career in 2009 because I had a very ill parent, a house to sell and our last child graduating high school. We moved here as empty nesters and I was bored out of mind. I had no idea of what I wanted to do so I decided to just give my time as a volunteer, here at Barnes-Jewish. The volunteer department thought I would serve well in the Guest Relations area.
 
My first day as a volunteer was something else!  Ms. Cindy Fishman introduced me to the Guest Relations staff and left me to serve. I rounded with several Patient Advocates that day to learn what they did and to learn about the hospital. Late in the day, a family of a patient wanted someone to come and sing gospel songs to their mother. Their mother had been in a coma and was, then, coming out of it. They thought that if she heard gospel music that she would come completely out of her coma. So…two of our Advocates, Tracy and Bernard, used their talented voices just for the occasion. By the third song, the mother was clapping to the music with a beautiful smile on her face. I witnessed a true miracle! Let me tell you, there was not a dry eye in the room. The family was amazed and thankful for the kindness Tracy and Bernard showed to them and their mother. 
 
I knew when I walked out of that patient’s room, that day I was in the right place to serve. I joined the Patient Advocate team three months later with absolutely no regrets. I get to come to BJH, every day, serve my co-workers, patients and their families. I go home, everyday, gratified… immensely. I cannot think of better way to add value to others!”
 
Carol Brazeale
Patient Advocate
Barnes Jewish Hospital

If you worked with a patient advocate at one of our hospitals and would like to share your experience, we encourage you to do so in our Share Your Ideas section of this site. 
 


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