Healthcare and Humanity thinks this piece reflects the essence of healthcare. Compassion. Kindness. Respect.
Congratulations Dr. Hacker for not only being such a wonderful doctor to your patients, but an inspiration for your colleagues.
“The first time I met Dr. Paul Hacker, I was working as a shift nurse in the community with a palliative patient who had ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Dr. Hacker sees a lot of patients but he was able to remember almost every detail about this woman’s story as he sat on her couch talking with her. I recall thinking about how respectful he was by sitting by her side. I remember admiring how thorough he was and how he didn’t refer to his notes when asking her detailed questions about how her mobility. I remember that when he left, the family all started talking about how wonderful he was.
The next time I met Dr. Hacker, I was working as a nurse with Maycourt hospice. This is a hospice that deals specifically with end-of-life care (the last weeks or days of life) and Dr. Hacker would have patients transferred there from their homes at the end. Every time he came to see one of them, he would make their days better– whether by reassuring family or talked realistically with the patient. As a nurse, working in the hospice was hard emotionally– I can’t say enough about how many times he would go out of his way to sit with us and make us laugh. He made volunteers laugh. He could even make his patients laugh. Every time he visited, we all got that reassurance. Families have even told us that when Dr. Hacker first visited them in their homes, he was the only person to have made the patient “truly laugh” since their diagnoses.
I think one of the best qualities your doctor can have is compassion. Being empathetic, patient and understanding toward people who are suffering is not something I see every day. Honestly, we all did a little celebratory dance of joy whenever Dr. Hacker was assigned to a patient in our care. We knew how well they would be looked after, and that meant a lot.
To one of the kindest, funniest doctor I know; who is 1000 times more amazing for bringing his dog to patients homes as well: thank you for looking after one of my friends’ dad recently. I got that same reassured and comforted feeling in my heart when I was told you were the doctor looking after him.
Thank you
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You are one of a kind and I am so blessed to have met you, learned from you, and worked with you.
Courtesy of a colleague of Dr. Hacker who feels that it’s important to highlight a friend/colleague monthly that deserves a compliment.
Healthcare and Humanity 