Stories of Carepassion

Most workers, when they end their shift, punch out and head for home.

Not Michael Perry from Crouse Nutritional Services.

He’d gotten wind that a patient had a hankering for her favorite beverage. And he was determined to grant her wish.

So Mike ended his work day and headed for the nearest grocery store. He returned soon after and presented Elizabeth Costello with a handwritten note — and a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper.

Elizabeth was flabbergasted. “Who goes out of their way like that,” she asked, thrilled to have been reunited with Mike the day she was discharged so she could thank him again.

“I will never forget how this one individual went out of his way to make my stay at Crouse more pleasant,” said Elizabeth. “I could have had any juice or soda, but he knew all I wanted was a Dr. Pepper — and he made it happen!”

Mike’s been doing seemingly small random acts of kindness for patients at Crouse for the last five years. “I love my job,” he says, noting that besides helping people, he gets to perfect his amateur stand-up comedy skills.

“I’m not a clinical staff member, but what I try to do is make a patient’s experience at Crouse the best it can be, in my own way, on a human level. I make them laugh, or try to get them what they want or need while they’re here.”

Now that’s Carepassion.