From Connecticut Hospital Association

Amy Wright, the administrative coordinator in the Emergency Department, is widely known among her colleagues at the Hospital of Central Connecticut for her empathetic and nurturing interactions with team members and patients.

This was especially true on a recent Mother’s Day.  Although the holiday is typically a time spent celebrating the life of someone special, it was a tough day for a daughter whose mother died in the ED at the hospital.  As the daughter sat in the room obviously distraught and frightened, with no family support, hospital staff cried at the sight of her suffering.

That’s when Wright stepped in and did what she does best.

“It’s difficult to put into words what happened when Amy walked into the daughter’s life, but I am certain it left a lasting impression on both of their lives,” said Bob Flade, RN, Regional Director of Emergency Services.  “It’s an example of how pain and love coincide in our hearts even amongst strangers.”

Wright will be recognized as a 2017 Healthcare Hero by the Connecticut Hospital Association at its 99th annual meeting June 14 in Wallingford.

Flade, who nominated her for the award, said he still gets tears in his eyes when he thinks about the way she consoled the daughter and did whatever she could to relieve at least a little of her pain.

Another time Wright’s empathy helped make a difficult situation a little easier was when a young child died in the ED.  Ms. Wright wanted to find a way to lessen the tragedy by doing something positive, and she realized that the child’s family had no funds to pay for a funeral.

Wright mobilized the ED staff, reached out to community partners, and took up a collection to help pay for the child’s funeral.  Because of her work, the family was at least relieved of some of their worry about how to afford a funeral, and the ED staff and community partners felt better knowing they’d done something to help in a situation over which they had no control.

“Working in the ED is very difficult at times,” said Flade.  “However, knowing there are beautiful people like Amy who are truly dedicated to helping people during their darkest days is reassuring.”

CHA’s Healthcare Heroes award was developed in 2002 to celebrate the invaluable contributions of healthcare workers, both to their field and to the community at large.