Daniel in the Lion's Den: A Compilation of Life-Changing Events Experienced at Detroit Receiving Hospital from the Eyes of a Patient Advocate

By Daniel William Heard

They joy of writing "Daniel In The Lion's Den" is only surpassed by the daily joy of helping others, as I go beside the patients and their families, at Detroit Receiving Hospital. God is always with me, as I work along side the nurses and doctors, in one of the busiest Emergency Departments in the United States.

As I began my position as Patient Advocate, in 2009, I took note daily of heart wrenching stories, strength of faith at the darkest hours, and God's hand in healing. My wife, Paula, suggested that I keep a log of many of the stories that developed. Every night brought something new. I was in complete awe of our entire staff at Detroit Receiving Hospital, not only the doctors and nurses, but the clerks, registration personnel, and security officers as well. Remarkably, I was widely accepted by that staff, and soon felt very much at home, as I worked beside them.

The stories I have to tell are actual life and death accounts, seen through the eyes of a Patient Advocate. The Emergency Department at Detroit Receiving Hospital can be horrifying, but it can also be a place of incredible mercy. It is a place of refuge for many who might be homeless, seriously ill or injured. It is, for some, the last place they will ever visit...alive. The pain and the grief here can be overwhelming, but as you read these stories you will find joy and healing. God's work here is unmistakable. I hope you see His hand, as i did, and just as Daniel did in the Biblical "Lion's Den".

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 28, 2011
• ISBN: 9781467040969

Daniel William Heard

The author, Daniel William Heard, loves God, family and baseball. He is a simple man, who never sees the grass as greener on the other side. He and his wife, Paula, lost their youngest of three daughters, Danielle, and the baby that she was carrying, Scarlett, to an automobile accident in 1996. Not a day goes by that Daniel and Paula do not feel the pain of their tremendous loss. In spite of the worst pain a parent could endure, God has blessed Daniel in so many ways. He sees God's hand in his life, everywhere. How God has touched Daniel since the deaths of his daughter and granddaughter, has redefined him. He became a facilitator to parents who have lost children. It is a group he named "Parents of Hope". God seemed to say to him, "If I know you are in pain. Take that pain and reach out to others who are suffering in the same way. I will show you the way." That ministry led to the position of Patient Advocate, at Detroit Receiving Hospital, in 2009, after a career in finance for over 35 years. God pointed Daniel Heard in a new direction. A direction that only He saw coming. God's love was so apparent to Daniel, in the Emergency Department of that hospital, that he was driven to write about the many daily stories of love, death and faith, that he witnessed... and, he calls it "Daniel In the Lion's Den". God has given Daniel Heard a grief ministry that he eagerly embraces. He feels blessed that God has entrusted in him a calling to help others through their toughest walks in life. He tries to bring a smile to their faces, as a comfort from God's love to us all. The smiley face symbolizes the best reflection of who Daniel Heard is, and that God is always there for all of us. (insert smiley face)

Book preview

Daniel in the Lion’s Den

Life and Death Stories of a Patient Advocate

Daniel William Heard

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© 2011 Daniel William Heard. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 11/23/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4670-4097-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4670-4098-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4670-4096-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011917597

Printed in the United States of America

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

About the Book

Dedication and Appreciation

Special Thanks

Foreword

Preface To Patient Advocate Stories

Disclaimer

Patient Advocate Stories

God’s Plan

God’s Gift

About the Author

About the Book

The joy of writing Daniel In The Lion’s Den is only surpassed by the daily joy of helping others, as I go beside the patients and their families, at Detroit Receiving Hospital. God is always with me, as I work along side the nurses and doctors, in one of the busiest Emergency Departments in the United States.

As I began my position as Patient Advocate, in 2009, I took note daily of heart wrenching stories, strength of faith at the darkest hours, and God’s hand in healing. My wife, Paula, suggested that I keep a log of many of the stories that developed. Every night brought something new. I was in complete awe of our entire staff at Detroit Receiving Hospital, not only the doctors and nurses, but the clerks, registration personnel, and security officers as well. Remarkably, I was widely accepted by that staff, and soon felt very much at home, as I worked beside them.

The stories I have to tell are actual life and death accounts, seen through the eyes of a Patient Advocate. The Emergency Department at Detroit Receiving Hospital can be horrifying, but it can also be a place of incredible mercy. It is a place of refuge for many who might be homeless, seriously ill or injured. It is, for some, the last place they will ever visit…alive. The pain and the grief here can be overwhelming, but as you read these stories you will find joy and healing. God’s work here is unmistakable. I hope you see His hand, as I did, and just as Daniel did in the Biblical Lion’s Den.

Dedication and Appreciation

I dedicate this book, first and foremost, to my son-in-law, David Egner. We fathers always worry about who will take the hand of our daughters. David is the kind of man that we all hope for. He has also been a major influence in the writing of this book.

I also dedicate this book to the doctors, nurses, and staff of Detroit Receiving Hospital. To be counted among them is one of the greatest blessings of my life.

Finally, I dedicate this book to the homeless of Detroit. Without really knowing it, they have provided me with an up close look at Jesus Christ. I felt the love of Jesus as I reached out to them. It took so little to give so much. I will always see Jesus in the homeless.

Special Thanks

Editing                        Linda Lawler

Formatting and Presentation            Stacy Ellison

President of Detroit Receiving Hospital      Reginald J. Eadie, MD

Cover illustrations                  Lucas Heard (my nephew)

Encouragement and support            Paula Lee Heard (my wife)

Helped me recognize my blessings      Tamatha Egner,

Amy Heard-Wokas,

Danielle Heard

(my three daughters)

Foreword

The forewords here are written by my friends and staff at Detroit Receiving Hospital. Their words humble me, but they also reflect their own caring nature and love for their fellow man. I am blessed to know them and to work along side them. Detroit Receiving Hospital may be a Lion’s Den, but it is a Lion’s Den of mercy and healing.

Daniel W. Heard

~~~

"Like a book of parables, Daniel In The Lion’s Den will touch millions in many different ways."

Reginald J. Eadie, MD

President

Detroit Receiving Hospital

Having to come to the Emergency Department is one of the most stressful times in anyone’s life. We see people at their most vulnerable, and sometimes least understanding moments. It is a time when true compassion is needed, and sometimes that gets lost in the rush to save a life. But, I know in my heart that the patients of Detroit Receiving Hospital will always be able to find it in the kind eyes of Daniel Heard. One need only listen to his reassuring voice to know they are not alone.

Susan Krebs

RN

Detroit Receiving Hospital

Preface To Patient Advocate Stories

Now that you are somewhat acquainted with who I am, let me give you a visual of where I work.

Detroit Receiving Hospital is right in the middle of downtown Detroit (actually referred to as midtown). We are not far from Comerica Park (home of the Detroit Tigers major league baseball team), Ford Field (home of the Detroit Lions football team), the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Fox Theatre, three large casinos, and many other Detroit landmarks. We are attached to three other hospitals by an underground tunnel. Those hospitals are Children’s, Harper, and Hutzel. All four hospitals are part of the Detroit Medical Center.

There are other hospitals outside of the downtown area and even outside of Detroit that are also part of the DMC. I will be focusing only on Detroit Receiving Hospital, and more specifically the Emergency Department. I will be representing, in this writing, only where my job responsibilities take place. I speak only for myself, as an Advocate for Detroit Receiving Hospital, Emergency Department. There are four Patient Advocates here at Detroit Receiving, Emergency. All four of us were hired in 2009. Two of us work during the days and two of us at night. I am one of the Advocates on the midnight shift. I was actually hired in May of 2009.

You will be reading about actual life and death stories through the eyes of a Patient Advocate named Daniel Heard.

Often times I feel like Daniel In The Lion’s Den, but only because I am new to this job and this place. It can get very scary here in Emergency, but it is also a place of incredible mercy. It is a place of refuge for many who might be homeless, seriously ill or injured. It is, for some, the last place they will ever visit… alive. The pain and the grief here can be horrible, but as you read these stories you will find joy and healing. God’s work here is unmistakable. I hope you see His hand, as I did, and just as Daniel did in the Biblical Lion’s Den.

Detroit Receiving Hospital has one of the busiest Emergency Departments in the United States. It reminds me a great deal of the TV version of ER. We have dozens of doctors and nurses and other staff on duty 24/7, as you would expect. I have never been associated with so many wonderful, professional, gifted people in my whole life. They are real heroes. They are so giving. Whether they realize it or not, they are an extension of God’s hand in comfort. I am proud to be a part of this staff.

I anticipated some negative reaction to my hiring because of the lack of health experience in my background. But, I can honestly say that I haven’t found one person from this entire staff that resents me being here.

As a matter of fact, I feel needed and much appreciated, each and every day. The doctors and nurses have so much on their agenda that they simply do not always have the time to address a patient’s emotional and/or mental state.

I am there to make the patient feel as comfortable as possible. I am a liaison between patient and doctor or nurse. I am there to help the patient’s family in any way that I can.

As Patient Advocate, I am responsible for reducing the anxiety of the patient and his or her family. I am energized to do just that. I don’t know why, but I consider it a calling from God, Himself. It seems to be an extension from the grief ministry that I began shortly after my daughter’s death. Our youngest daughter of three, Danielle, died in an automobile accident at age 18 in June of 1996. I have been facilitating a group of parents who have lost children (now numbering over 100) over the last eight years. The position of Patient Advocate seems to be an extension of that role. Only God could have made this happen. Of that I am sure.

~~~

FROM THE AUTHOR: I did not and would not breach the confidentiality of any of the patients that I have written about. I did not use any specific medical information. My writing reflects the human element, as well as the comforting Hand of God. It was my attempt to reveal the goodness of mankind, and the God-given talents of our doctors and nurses. Most of all I wanted to focus on the elements of Jesus’ love that I saw with each, new day.

Daniel W. Heard

Patient Advocate

Detroit Receiving Hospital

Emergency Department

Disclaimer

I originally included names and dates in my writings but, because of HIPPA Laws which are laws that protect the privacy of patients and hospitals, I have changed all names and removed all dates.

These writings are a representation of a typical day in the life of a Patient Advocate, and are recounted just as they occurred, but should not be identified with a patient. None of the incidents are unique to any one patient.

Daniel W. Heard

Patient Advocate

Detroit Receiving Hospital

Emergency Department

Patient Advocate Stories

A ROUGH BEGINNING

I am sure that God wanted me to feel at home in my new job. And the best way would be for me to jump in with both feet. The Lions almost bit off my feet before I could even get them on the ground. This first issue would be repeated over and over again during my days as Patient Advocate, but the first time was definitely the worst.

Patient Brenda, a very angry lady in her 40’s, complained loudly about her doctor and her discharge. We have guidelines to follow in such cases, but this was only my fifth day on the job and I was not up to speed on protocol or chain of command. I learned both from this experience. After 20 minutes of discussion, I was able to settle her down a little, but only because I agreed to find a higher authority. I would learn to handle this myself in the future.

I went looking for the highest authority, actually my boss, the Emergency Department Director. She was not in (that was a good thing). I should have called the Clinical Coordinator who is in charge during my shift (also known as the Head Nurse or Lead Nurse). Instead, I talked to several office personnel, who tried to find someone who could deal with this woman. They should never have been involved. Any issues in Emergency should be handled in Emergency.

Sometimes it takes a major mistake to learn a lesson well. We do learn more from our mistakes than we do from our successes.

Thankfully, word did travel to the Clinical Coordinator, and she talked to the patient. Brenda finally left, and her mood wasn’t much better than it was with me. I was reprimanded, but later cleared of any wrong-doing. Whew! My first week of employment, and it almost ended before it began.

The first Patient Advocate hired among the four of us and the one who was instrumental in interviewing me and had a vote in my hiring told me after the angry-patient experience with Brenda that, when in doubt, I should be myself.

She said that I was hired because of my character, wisdom, and empathy. All I needed to do was trust myself. From that day on, I did. And, from that day on, I have experienced the most fulfilling job of my life! A job that would allow me to go beside patients and their families and friends, and simply make their day a better day and provide them with words of assurance, and direction where needed. I love this work.

FIRST DEATH

Death. For the first time, as a Patient Advocate, I was face-to-face with death. Not with just the patient who had died, but also more than 20 family members and friends.

The patient, Joe, was brought in down (no vitals), he could not be revived. I was immediately overwhelmed with sadness for the 51 year-old man who died. I looked at Joe and realized that he would never again speak, see, walk, feel the warmth of a loved one’s touch, have a piece of pie, listen to his favorite song, or feel the kiss of a cool breeze.

Yet, I also knew that a new journey had begun, and for that I was a little envious. I thought of my daughter, grand daughter, and mother. They all await us in a place that they probably couldn’t even describe. A place of love, deep love, unconditional love… a love that never ends. I prayed for the man. I prayed again with his family. I took them downstairs to view the body. All went well, considering.

Joe’s mother referred to me as Have you Heard over and over again (after she read my name tag). She smiled, but I understood that smile. It was a smile of shock. Shock is our first response to death. It takes a while to believe it actually happened. I was glad that she had some light moments, but I knew she was deeply hurt and would soon begin to feel the pain of missing her son, Joe.

There is nothing worse than the loss of a child, at any age. God moved me to say the right things (I hope). I know He was there. He always is.

A CALMING PRAYER

As I walked through one of the modules in the emergency department, I came across a man named Isaiah. He was a very slight-built man of 51. He nervously paced about his bed, unable to lie down. He couldn’t bring himself to rest. I wasn’t sure what made him so intense. As I approached him, he suddenly spoke to me. Are you a preacher?

I said, No, but maybe I could help you anyway.

Isaiah said that his nerves were shot and he couldn’t lie down and rest. He asked me if I would say a prayer over him, thinking a prayer might settle him down. I was happy to oblige.

I told him to lie on his side, facing me. I laid a hand on his shoulder and began to pray. I asked God to calm him and give him peace of mind. I also asked God to heal him of whatever is causing his unrest. To my surprise, when I finished the prayer, he said, Reverend, I am at total peace. Thank you. I feel the Lord’s presence and I am fine now. I can go to sleep. And he did!

After a very busy day, this moment also brought peace to me. I told Isaiah to rest now and that I would