StoryCorps and Intermountain Healthcare partner to share conversations of hope and healing.
Surgeon Shane Lewis, MD, finds that listening to patients and learning more about who they are makes his work more effective and more satisfying. He and his wife, Dixie, share memories of one surgery patient, an 80-year-old Vietnam vet, who was worried about his wife at home alone. Dr. Lewis and other clinicians personally checked on his wife and made sure she had what she needed, which helped the patient have a better outcome. “If we operate from a space of empathy, I think we give far better care.”
Transcript
Shane Lewis, MD: When I first started my practice here in Utah, there was a patient that had a really difficult problem, and you went with me to take the patient on walks. And I've learned a lot from those patient walks. It got to be tied to the reason for what I do and spend that time with a person holding onto my arm and taking him around the hospital and hearing about their life. And so, I think one of the greatest things that I've learned in medicine is to listen.
Dixie Lewis: I remember one time you called me. You were at a patient's house. The patient was at the hospital and you told me that you were there making sure that his wife was okay because he hadn't heard from her for a few days. She couldn't drive, and you were concerned that she didn't have food. And so you called me one day and I said, "Where are you, why aren't you home?" "I'm helping this patient; she needs some groceries." You were over there making sure that not only the patient was okay, but that his wife was okay as well. That really touched me.
Dr. Lewis: Yeah, this guy really touched me because he's an 80-year-old who served in the Vietnam War. I think he did three tours of duty. As I started to listen to him, I discovered that his concern was for his wife. She was home alone, and he was worried that she wouldn't have food and didn't know what she needed. We tried to call her, but she didn't answer. And I could tell this was really disturbing to him. It wasn't allowing him to continue with his care. So, I asked him if it'd be okay if I went and saw her and he agreed. I went and visited her. I wore my badge, because I knew that she was going to wonder, “Who in the world is knocking on my door?” Then she opened the door. She said, "Hi, Dr. Lewis, you must be Dr. Lewis." And I said, "Yes," and we actually embraced. Then I just told her about her husband and how much he cared about her and how worried he was about her. And then I took a selfie with her.
Dixie: Yeah, you sent it to me, I remember.
Dr. Lewis: And I took it so that I could take it back and show him that his wife was okay. It had a remarkable effect on him, because something that mattered so much to him mattered to me. Then we were really on a team together. It not only affected my patient, but it affected all of the other people helping him. Everybody started to be really engaged in who he was. Then another doctor that I work with, she heard about this, and she called me the next day and said, "Hey, I'm leaving work early today, because I'm going shopping for our patient's wife." So she then went and did a visit and shopped for her and found the particular food items that she wanted. It was amazing how it just caught fire amongst others.
Dixie: Cute lady. Those good deeds snowball, don't they?
Dr. Lewis: Yeah.
Dixie: People see somebody doing good, they are impacted by that, and they want to do good themselves. Why does that make it different in patient care to know the stories of the people that you are caring for?
Dr. Lewis: I think it's really important to recognize the humanity in everybody. No matter their situation, no matter their background. By remaining curious about people and about their lives and about their circumstance, I think it helps to allow us to listen and to learn. And then from that, that spark creates a flame of empathy. If we operate from a space of empathy, I think we give far better care and more appropriate care than we ever could otherwise. That's one of the most important lessons I've learned— just to remain curious, to allow that spark to grow.