Aimee Baker, medical assistant, says a simple act of kindness she witnessed has changed the way she serves people.
When Aimee Baker, medical assistant, gets off work she goes to Chuck Wayman’s office. It’s got a great view and it speeds up her commute.
Chuck is a shuttle driver at St. George Regional Hospital.
“I was in corporate America for many years and tell all the people who get on my bus that I have an office with a view and air conditioning,” he says. “You can’t beat it, really.”
The caregiver parking lot is located about a half mile from St. George Regional Hospital, so shuttle busses drive caregivers to and from their cars from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aimee’s trip to her car was delayed one day recently by a bus detour. She says it changed the way she approaches her work.
Chuck was waiting for his next load of passengers when he saw a patient in trouble.
Chuck Wayman says he has an office with a great view.
“I spotted this lady and she was obviously in distress,” he says. “I got out of the bus and approached her and I said, ‘Is there anything I can do to help you?’”
She told him she was lost and was trying to find a doctor. Chuck realized the office she needed was on the other side of the hospital campus.
“She was kind of an elderly lady so there was no way she was going to walk that far and make it on time,” he says.
The shuttle is for caregivers and even though the hospital has a golf cart that can be used for such situations, it wasn’t available.
Alliysn Wright, Chuck's supervisors, says he's always looking for ways to make life easier for the people he serves.
“So, I said, ‘Hey, hop on my bus. I’ll get you over there and that way you won’t be late for your appointment.’”
But he was immediately presented with a dilemma because Aimee, who works at Redrock Pediatrics, got on his bus and he knew she was at the end of her shift and he thought she was probably tired and ready to go home. Aimee, however, wasn’t complaining. She was more interested in watching the simple act of kindness play out in front of her.
“Not at any point in his conversation with her did he say anything to make her feel guilty for him taking the bus a little out of the way,” she says. “He just treated her with such dignity and respect and was so sweet to her. I thought, ‘Gosh, if that woman was my grandma, I’d be so happy if he’d taken such good care of her.’”
Chuck says he went inside and asked the greeters to help her get to her appointment, but he was worried that when she got out a golf cart might not be available to take her back to her car.
“I gave the greeter my cell phone number and I said, ‘If she comes out and there’s no transportation available to get her back to her car, give me a call and I’ll come pick her up and take her to her car.”
Vanessa Waite, practice manager, says Chuck can brighten up even a tough day as his rolling office takes people back to their car.
“He could have just stopped, dropped her off and called it good,” Aimee says. “But he wanted to make sure she wasn’t forgotten.”
After he dropped her off, Chuck apologized to Aimee for the delay and thanked her for her patience, but she says there was no need for an apology.
“It just touched me so much,” Aimee says. “I went home and I shared the story with my family because I was so touched by his kindness. It really has impacted me. I think back on it and it just serves as kind of a simple reminder to me and I think of his kindness and his service while I’m serving, working with our patients in the office and with their families. It really has impacted the way I serve our patients. To him it was probably like nothing. He’s just the kindest person I interact with every day.”
The fact that Chuck lifts those around him isn’t news to the caregivers who see him every day. They say he gets to know each of them and always thanks them for their work and tells them to be safe as they get off his shuttle.
“It always feels genuine when he says, ‘Be safe out there. Have a good weekend,’’ Aimee says of his daily send off. “I always feel good when I go out and it’s his shuttle.”
Vanessa Waite, practice manager at Redrock Pediatrics, sees it the same way.
“He’s always going above and beyond to make us feel special,” Vanessa says. “I don’t even know how to explain it but, at the end of the day when you’ve had a really rough day, he’s always there to brighten your day and then he thanks you for your work.”
Chuck says he loves getting to know people.
“I know the people who ride my shuttle bus probably better than their mother does,” he jokes. “I hear quite a bit about their lives and their days and I like doing that. I’m kind of a sounding board for them when they get off of work and take that seven- or eight-minute ride over to their car. I have an opportunity just to visit with them. I’m kind of like a hairdresser or a bartender, you might say. It’s a great job I wouldn't trade it for the world.”
Chuck’s supervisor Allisyn Wright says she often hears this kind of feedback about Chuck’s work.
“Chuck is the kind of guy that always looks for ways to help someone,” Allisyn says. “He’s always looking for a way to make somebody’s life a little easier. I don’t have to worry when he’s on shift because I know he’s going to do everything he can to take care of our customers, which, in this case, is usually our caregivers.”