Cindy Haskin-Popp isn’t surprised that her team is regularly recognized by patients for going above and beyond. It’s something she encourages her staff to do and demonstrates through her own actions.
“I can think of dozens of examples where members of my team have stepped up to selflessly and willingly contribute to the health of our patients,” Cindy says.
As the manager of Beaumont’s cardiac rehabilitation unit at Beaumont Health & Wellness Center in Royal Oak, she credits connecting with others – patients and staff – for the positive feedback.
“Forming connections, whether it’s with patients or fellow employees, allows us to learn, feel, grow and become better versions of ourselves, which then creates a better whole” says Cindy. “We’re all in this life together.”
It’s not uncommon for members of her team to provide rides to patients in need or extend working hours to accommodate a patient’s schedule. Kerstin Grafe, a Beaumont exercise physiologist, recently went beyond her daily duties to help a patient
organize his medication bottles. “Her patient was unsure how much or how often he should take his medication and, in some cases, even why he was taking them. He brought in 20 bottles and she spent an extra 30 minutes to help him organize, schedule
and understand them.”
In addition to her administrative tasks, Cindy, who has been with Beaumont for nearly 15 years, helps with direct patient care whenever she can so her team can spend extra time with their patients or take a much-needed breather.
According to Cindy, the important role cardiac rehab plays in recovery or prevention can’t be understated. “We help patients identify their risk factors for heart disease and provide them with the education, tools and resources they need to
modify these risks. We monitor blood pressure, heart rate and heart rhythm and assess any signs and symptoms during the session to ensure the exercise is safe. We also provide continual feedback to the patient regarding their progress and help them
identify and navigate obstacles to that progression.”
Like most hospital services, Cindy and her team were dealt a major blow during the initial COVID shutdown. The services were shuttered and reopening a department that worked in such close proximity was a challenge.
“Social distancing certainly dictated a creative approach to reopening,” explains Cindy. “To be able to provide care to more cardiac rehab patients at a given time, we had to spread out into different areas of the building. During the
initial months upon return, the cardiac rehab department used three different gyms.”
While the disruption to regular patient care was an obstacle, Cindy and her team transitioned to what Cindy calls “a truer form of case management, which enhanced our already spectacular patient-centered care approach.”
“We work in cardiac rehab, but we’re so much more than that,” says Cindy. “We’re educators, confidants, cheerleaders, caregivers, nurturers, mentors, friends, family, social support and advocates.”
Those roles ring especially true in a comment that one of Cindy’s patients recently shared. “She’s just wonderful, professional and patient. It meant so much to me that there are still people in the world who are professional and courteous.
In that moment, I knew I mattered, and I counted.”