“My 94-year-old father visited Dr. Shah last week for his COPD and pulmonary hypertension. When I was with him on Sunday he exclaimed, ‘Dr. Shah is a great doctor, Sarah. There is a difference between a good doctor and a great doctor.’Praise from my father is unusual so I pressed him further. Great versus good. Can you elucidate?

‘Without being haughty, she conveys she knows what she’s talking about and communicates this clearly. She thinks outside the box, even staying ahead of your questions.’

To clarify this, he gave me an example. His nostrils are malformed from dermatological surgeries. The nasal cannula prongs must extend further into the nose to stay in. This adds discomfort. She wants him on nightly oxygen for pulmonary hypertension. He resists due to discomfort. Conflict? Technically, yes.

She had choices here, and the easiest would be to become frustrated and see futility. She chose a different route. Perhaps she imagined having a nasal cannula high up in a nostril blowing cool air while trying to sleep. The solution is not the point here. The conveyance of respect and understanding made all the difference. Mutual trust and respect have been established, and he will work harder to follow her recommendations.

My father is elderly but far from feeble. As a lawyer and then CEO, he is used to being in command, yet he views humility as perhaps the number one quality of a great leader and recognizes his own limitations.  When physicians use technical language or make little attempt to ensure understanding, I observe him tuning out. When physicians show him respect by listening closely and demonstrating understanding, he becomes engaged. Are we any different?

I want to appreciate Dr. Shah here. These compliments and qualities may seem like small things, but they are anything but. We are accomplished in applying our clinical skills, but without seeing our patients’ humanity and perspective, our skills will go only so far. The recent pandemic and vaccination rates in the U.S. have taught us that.”

Dr. Shah’s commitment to patient-centered care and her ability to build trust through understanding and respect exemplify the highest standards of medical practice at HonorHealth. We are grateful to Dr. Snell for sharing this touching appreciation of her father’s care.

If you know of a colleague deserving of recognition due to care of patients, support for our community or support of a colleague, please share with a chief medical officer or email [email protected].