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This story is part of William Osler Health System’s (Osler) Doctors Making a Difference campaign featuring Osler doctors who are going beyond to improve our community’s health.
When Elva Massey’s 82-year-old mother, Daisy, was admitted to Etobicoke General Hospital with severe dehydration, she experienced a roller coaster of emotions. Her mom had experienced a lot in a short period of time, having been recovering from a fractured hip, and recently moved into a retirement home. Daisy didn’t look well at all, and Elva was anxious for her mother. Then she met Dr. Karen Dang, one of William Osler Health System’s (Osler) hospitalists and the Physician Lead for Hospital Medicine at Etobicoke General, who had been assigned to her mom’s care.
“She was so amazing, so attentive and incredibly engaged,” said Elva. “I was really pleased, as I know she did her absolute best to help my mom improve while she was in her care. I felt she treated her as if she was a family member.”
Elva said her mom was not able to understand or acknowledge anything that was happening at that time, so she appreciated that Dr. Dang made a point of contacting Elva on a regular basis to update her and explain the next steps to get her mom’s health to a better place.
“All too often, people get disgruntled because they simply don’t know what is going on,” added Elva. “That was never an issue while mom was in Dr. Dang’s care. She was so caring and compassionate while keeping me informed and that was so important to me, particularly given mom was non-verbal.”
The ‘hospitalist’ role emerged in the late 1990s as hospitals began to experience a growing increase in the number of patients presenting with multiple health conditions. Hospitalists diagnose, treat and coordinate care for patients throughout their hospital stay. They meet with patients and families to answer questions and consider next steps. Dr. Dang works on the Medicine Units and is one of over 80 hospitalists who work across Osler’s hospitals.
“It’s not an easy profession, but it’s an incredibly rewarding one,” said Dr. Dang who joined Osler in 2004 as one of its first hospitalists. “We look after people at a point in time when they are often very sick and feel uncertain about what will happen.”
Dr. Dang said she and her fellow hospitalists take it all in stride using their knowledge of a wide range of medical conditions and collaborating with allied health team members and specialist physicians. “Our specialty is coordinating care during a hospital admission. When caring for a patient with complex conditions, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. Sometimes a specific test needs to take place before a certain procedure can occur. Other times, care plans involve patients moving to another part of the hospital or even to another hospital. Resources are often limited and need to be shared. As Hospitalists, we find a way to do what we need to do for our patients.”
Although hospitalists don’t follow patients once they’re discharged from hospital, many of them leave a lasting impact and Dr. Dang remembers Daisy well.
“Daisy was so sick when we first met her in the emergency room, she couldn’t talk. As I listened to her daughter Elva express her mother’s wishes, we developed a care plan together. We could not be certain how her mother would respond. With support and time, we are grateful that Daisy got better,” said Dr. Dang, who said she strives to treat her patients the way she would like a member of her own family to be treated.
Trained in family medicine, Dr. Dang chose to work in a hospital in order to work in the acute care setting and to have the opportunity to work with an interprofessional team. Dr. Dang’s role gives her the chance to help patients and families gain a better understanding of their condition and what to expect when they are admitted to the hospital. Family members like Elva are so glad she chose to be a hospitalist.
“Dr. Dang entered our lives at the right time,” said Elva. “She’s one of the best doctors we’ve ever encountered. She has a very high standard in how she approaches patient care, and it was such a pleasure having her coordinate my mom’s care. She’s a real gem.”
Read about more Osler doctors making a difference.
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