Susan Trent’s average day is hectic and challenging, and her routine responsibilities often affect the lives of those who count on her skills and services. She is a lawyer for the Fort Wayne law firm Rothberg Logan and Warsco.

On August 24, 2016 Susan joined us as a Parkview Diamond Engagement participant and experienced many of those all-too-familiar challenges and responsibilities. But this time, she was seeing them through the lens of another profession, as she shadowed Parkview physicians and specialists on a typical 10-hour day.

In an effort to engage select community leaders by offering them a behind-the-scenes, hands-on experience, Parkview introduced the Diamond Engagement program last year. This opportunity allows individuals from the area to see patient care up close through a true day in the life opportunity.

As a member of the inaugural Diamond Engagement group, Susan was invited to see first-hand the intricate, skilled, challenging, and often miraculous work that happens within the walls of a hospital. These moments make up the stories of patients who walk through the doors of Parkview Regional Medical Center and the Parkview Heart Institute every day. And now, Susan has her own story to share, and this time from a new, unexpected perspective.

Susan Trent’s Diamond Engagement Experience

The Diamond Engagement “experience” starts first thing in the early morning. when you are putting on your scrubs—thinking about the patients, about their doctors, their nurses, their families—and runs through the end of the day, when you’ve still got your scrubs on, are tired, hungry and happy, but quite emotionally reflective about what you experienced.

I was right there, in the absolute thick of things. I thought I might be intruding on the professionals at Parkview. Instead, every single one was so welcoming and encouraging. The doctors and staff were so positive, so approachable, explaining and helping us conceptualize what procedure we were going to see. It was unbelievable. The sim guys let me use all the machines, so I actually got to “perform” the surgeries and procedures I saw earlier in the day. I think I expected the experience to be mostly passive observation; but, it engaged [all of] our senses—visual, sight, touch, hearing, even smell.

It was immediate to me—the care and respect Parkview staff has for their patients and their well-being. You really get an idea of the team effort that takes place between the physicians and the nursing staff as they must coincide. I had doctors explain, in real time, what was happening as we watched surgeons perform a five-hour surgery! The technology was extremely impressive and the physicians’ skills were astounding—precision, steadiness, patience.

When you put it all aside—the early morning, the scrubs, the rounds with physicians and nurses, the nervousness I felt at first–I was so impressed overall by the apparent positive views and attitudes. I was able experience firsthand the world-class healthcare being offered by the Parkview team. The buildings are awesome—but what’s happening in the buildings is truly remarkable.

The Parkview team was thrilled to share this day with Susan. This day filled with miracles, thoughtful medical management, family-centered care, compassion, technology, camaraderie, research, community, and a focus on quality of life and well-being. It was the full Diamond Experience.