Hospitalization can be frightening for anyone but for a patient admitted to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center who was blind and experienced severe anxiety, the situation became overwhelming. Her husband remained at her bedside to talk her through, but when transport brought her alone in for a CT scan, her distress, confusion, and fear of loud noises led to a panic attack that might have prevented the team from completing the procedure. Fortunately, Amy Anellia, a CT scan technician, jumped in with compassion and all the right comforting moves.
Anellia invited the patient’s husband to join his wife and to speak to her calmly through the CT booth, and the empathetic tech also did everything in her power to directly support the patient throughout the scan. In a letter about the experience, Anellia’s colleague wrote, “She was calm, spoke clearly, and held the patient’s hand” as she explained the process in a way they could understand, and also “pulled out every cushion available to help the patient lay comfortably without feeling like they would fall.” Though the scan took longer than usual, Anellia’s warmth, patience, and willingness to adapt ensured it was completed successfully.