Caroline Brown, a Certified Procedural Coder, at 42nd Street, has helped many patients solve their billing problems during her almost 30-year career at the Mount Sinai Health System. But one situation, in particular, will always stand out for her.
In 2016, patient Ilene Bauer telephoned Caroline’s Customer Service Unit to ask for help in resolving charges she had received from the Department of
Radiology. Caroline sensed that Ilene had already attempted to straighten out the bill and had not been able to, so she took the lead in helping her even though the bill was not from Caroline’s unit.
She initiated a three-way telephone call between herself, Ilene, and a representative from the Department of Radiology, and helped Ilene explain the problem while remaining on the line to ensure that Ilene received the assistance she needed.
Ilene was so pleased with the outcome that she asked Caroline for her supervisor’s name so she could report the good service she had received. Her “report” turned out to be a seven-stanza poem of thanks to Caroline, titled “One in a Million.” Caroline says she was so touched by the unexpected poem that she reached out to Ilene to thank her. But other than sharing the poem with her supervisor, Ruben Rodriguez, and a handful of friends and family, Caroline kept it to herself.
In May 2018, the poem resurfaced during a Commitment to Caring Leadership Retreat that was conducted by Talent Development and Learning, part of the Mount Sinai Health System’s Human Resources Department. Ruben recommended using the poem to highlight how putting the patient first can lead to tremendous patient gratitude. This time, Caroline received widespread recognition for her willingness to go beyond her job to help a patient. At the Commitment to Caring Retreat, more than 100 managers surprised her with a standing ovation.