Making Memories That Count
Michele Webb, B.S.N., R.N., NE-BC, patient advocate at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen, has made a lot of memories for herself and her family at Texas Health, but one of the most rewarding parts of her job is also making them for patients.
Webb started as a nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano in 1992, and her daughter, now a nurse at Texas Health Plano’s mother-baby unit, started attending day care at the center on Texas Health Plano’s campus at age 3.
“Michele brings tremendous expertise across a broad range of quality and safety topics to her work, but her most valuable and remarkable asset is her ability to instill trust in her co-workers,” said Robert Schwab, M.D., chief medical officer at Texas Health Allen.
“Her kind and generous spirit enables her to be successful in everything she does. One of the best examples is our Make a Memory program, which is headed up and managed by Michele. She has been a strong ambassador for the program, enlisting the help of our staff and in the process, allowing them to experience and remember the driving force behind their decision to enter healthcare — the opportunity to care for people (who happen to have a disease or injury) in a difficult time in their lives.”
Webb said those connections also help her fulfill the organization’s Vision of partnering with consumers for a ifetime of health and well-being. One of her own personal memories includes a little encounter with Interpol. Learn more about that and other facets of her career:
What did you want to be as a kid, and how did you ultimately choose your career?
As a young child, I wanted to be a professional singer, but I knew I didn’t have the voice. In fifth grade, a health class made me realize how fascinating the human body is. I decided then that I would be a nurse and never wavered once from that idea.
What does a typical workday look like?
I attend a Reliability Safety Briefing, followed by Nursing Briefing, which kickstarts my day. So I know in advance what challenges may be in store for me, I review our daily patient census list, looking for opportunities to facilitate our Make a Memory program by targeting specific units or patient populations. I spend about two hours each day rounding on the patient units to solve issues as they arise and hopefully before they escalate.
What’s your favorite part of your job, and what is the biggest challenge?
The most rewarding part of my job is when I make a special connection with a patient and their family. I really enjoy getting to know the patients who come to our entity regularly and checking in on them when they are here. The biggest challenge I face is walking into a difficult situation that has escalated without knowing all the facts and attempting to quickly determine a satisfactory resolution.
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
A friend and I got into a “little” trouble with Interpol during a Mediterranean cruise. We decided to ditch our cruise ship and skip ahead to the next destination in Rome. When we returned to our ship after a long and lovely day of sightseeing, we were required to stay in our cabin, which had been searched, for several hours. We were not allowed to leave the ship unaccompanied for the remainder of the cruise. The only positive — they made room for us on the Pompeii excursion, which was sold out.
What kinds of innovative approaches have you or has your department adopted to make our consumers more comfortable and give them a better experience overall?
Our Make a Memory program is something unique that is the brainchild of our chief medical officer, Robert Schwab, M.D. Everyone at Texas Health Allen has made a commitment to make personal connections with our patients, transforming a hospital stay into a memorable positive experience.
By Judy Wiley • Posted August 10, 2021
