Connie Rivera, 72, enjoys reading. But the Lower Burrell, Pa., resident found herself spending less and less time with a good book in her hands.
“My vision was blurry and I was having a very hard time reading,” she says. Thinking she needed new glasses, Connie scheduled an eye test. “They told me I needed cataract surgery and should see a doctor,” she says.
She made an appointment with ophthalmologist Scott L. Portnoy, MD, at the UPMC Vision Institute in Natrona Heights. He agreed that a cataract in her left eye should be removed. The procedure was scheduled for Oct. 3 at the UPMC St. Margaret Harmar Outpatient Center.
At UPMC, outpatient cataract surgery is usually done under local anesthesia with mild sedation. That means someone had to be in the waiting room throughout the procedure. That was a problem for Connie.
“My son couldn’t take time off from work that day to be with me,” says Connie. “So I called to cancel the surgery.”
Instead of canceling the procedure, Kelly Nelson, the department’s surgery scheduler, referred Connie to Dana McGinnis-Thomas, MHA, patient navigator for the UPMC Vision Institute.
“Vision issues were keeping Connie from doing things she enjoys,” says Dana. “Kelly was confident that I could help her.”
Dana says her role is to help patients benefit from community resources. Connecting with volunteers from service organizations, churches, and community groups in and around the area is a vital part of her job.
Angela Wislie Misera of Creighton, an active volunteer in the community, was at Mount St. Peter Church in New Kensington when Dana called asking for a few hours of help for Connie. The parish secretary immediately handed the request to Angela.
“I was in just the right place at the right time,” says Angela, who was able to be in the waiting room the day of Connie’s surgery. “You couldn’t ask for a nicer person than Angela,” says Connie. “She was with me every minute of the time I was there.”
During the brief time they spent together in that outpatient center waiting room, a friendship developed between the two women.
“Connie is one of those people who lifts your spirits and confirms your belief in the goodness of others and I hope to get her involved in volunteering,” says Angela.
Dana explains that having volunteers like Angela to provide help and support for patients like Connie is critical.
“By making sure patients don’t have to miss appointments, we help improve their health outcomes so they maintain the highest quality of life,” says Dana.
Connie is thankful for Kelly, Dana, and Angela.
The UPMC Vision Institute’s patient navigator plan, she says “is a really good one, especially for people who live alone. I am very grateful for everything they did for me. They are awesome.”
