Published: July 11, 2023
LANSING, MI – A caregiver in Sparrow Ionia Hospital’s Emergency Department who recently raised the alarm about a child suspected of being in an harmful situation has been honored with the Sparrow Speak Up Award for advocating on behalf of patient and caregiver safety.
Patient Access Specialist DrewAnn Gladding noticed the child had a black eye and that the father did not know the patient’s birthdate or the correct spelling of their name. Gladding immediately contacted an administrator and police. The situation was investigated and authorities determined there was no foul play. The patient was accurately identified by mom, treated appropriately, and discharged from the hospital.
Sparrow Ionia Hospital Patient Access Specialist DrewAnn Gladding displays her Speak Up Award.
Sparrow caregivers and managers surround Sparrow Ionia Hospital Patient Access Specialist DrewAnn Gladding (center) to celebrate her Speak Up Award.
“We encourage all of our caregivers to speak up when something doesn’t seem right,” said Sparrow Ionia Hospital Patient Access Manager Angela Keehn. “Patient Access Specialists are the first people to have eyes on every patient, so speaking up with concerns and observations can greatly impact a patient’s care, and even save a life.”
The Speak Up Award is given quarterly to a Sparrow caregiver or team for speaking up on behalf of patient and caregiver safety. The health and safety of our patients, caregivers, and visitors is always our top priority.
Gladding has been a Patient Access Specialist at Sparrow Ionia for two years.
“I think speaking up is important because there are times where others may not be able to use their voice and those are the instances where we need to use our own voice to speak up for them,” she said.
For more information about Sparrow’s quality care, visit Sparrow.org.
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Sparrow is Mid-Michigan’s premier health care organization that includes hospitals in Lansing, Charlotte, St. Johns, Ionia and Carson City as well as Sparrow Care Network, Sparrow Medical Group, the Michigan Athletic Club, and AL!VE. Sparrow is part of University of Michigan Health System. Through the dedication of our 10,000 caregivers, Sparrow pursues a vision to be nationally recognized as a leader in quality and Patient experience. For more information, visit Sparrow.org.