94 Seconds- The Smallest Things Can Make The Biggest Impact

By Karen Berger, PharmD

On Friday after school, my 10-year old had an expander put in, as the beginning of her teeth straightening process. The orthodontist has a great bedside manner, and was very patient with my daughter, Dena. She took her time and really wanted Dena to get as comfortable as she could be under the circumstances. Our appointment was at 3:30 pm and we left around 4:45 – we definitely did not feel rushed.

After dinner, around 7:30pm, I was sitting by my phone when it rang. Who is calling me? I thought, surprised. Everyone texts me! Lo and behold, it was the orthodontist, calling to see how Dena was doing in the last few hours since we left the office. We chatted briefly – I didn’t want to keep her long, especially on a Friday night. She asked a few questions and offered some advice. When we hung up, I looked at the phone. The conversation only took 94 seconds. 94 seconds!!

Why did I notice this? Because it only took 94 seconds to make an amazing impression on us. It is so rare that a healthcare provider of any kind makes after hours calls to check on patients. But that 94 seconds really made a difference to me. I saw this orthodontist as someone who cared and went the extra mile for her patients and their families.

Then, as with many other things, I thought about how this could apply to pharmacy. I certainly know most of us don’t have any extra time to do anything, but I think we can all find 94 seconds here and there to check in on a patient that may need a little extra attention. Throughout your days, and your interactions with patients, you’ll most certainly notice a few patients that have issues you could follow up on with a quick phone call. Maybe someone is looking a little down, and you could be the quick call that turns that patient’s day around.

Forget the metrics, let the reds go redder! Take just a minute or two here and there, and go that extra mile. We are all in this because we want to help people. Let’s all take a brief moment as often as we can, to make a little difference in our patients’ lives. You never know when your quick phone call could brighten someone’s day – the smallest things can make the biggest impact.