With Precision

We often hear about how difficult and overwhelming experiences with the healthcare system can be. While it wasn’t somewhere I ever hoped to find myself, I recently spent time at a top-tier hospital in downtown Toronto. I was genuinely impressed by what I witnessed.

My friend’s husband had been transported there following a stroke. When we arrived at the emergency department—already packed and bustling—we were greeted by an exceptionally compassionate triage nurse. I don’t often share names or single out organizations, but this experience deserves recognition: well done, St. Michael’s Hospital.

The ER nurse told us she had triaged my friend’s husband and knew exactly where he was. She explained that the unit would be hard to find and kindly offered to lead us there herself—something for which we were more than grateful. She took us up to the MSICU, asked us to wait outside the OR doors, and returned moments later to let us know that the surgery had just finished. She assured us the physician would be out soon with an update.

We waited—minutes that felt like an eternity. When the physician arrived, he was both kind and exceptionally knowledgeable. He updated my friend on every aspect of her husband’s care and explained the next steps. He even offered to personally walk us to the next area, guiding us up the stairs to the waiting room, where we were asked to wait for further updates.

Again, the wait felt endless, but soon a staff member in scrubs introduced herself as the team lead. She explained exactly where my friend’s husband was and accompanied us up to the seventh floor. There, she introduced us to the staff who would be caring for him. The team explained everything clearly, asked if there was anything my friend needed, and helped her navigate the room—showing her the call bell, phone, and information board.

Although we were overwhelmed by the situation, every staff member we encountered that day went above and beyond with kindness, patience, and clear communication. We truly felt cared for.

Well done, St. Mike’s. This was healthcare in action at its finest.