Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Life Changing Is >
  • Employee Stories >
  • Administrative Services >
  • Tara H.
Life Changing Is
Clinical Excellence Stories
Employee Stories
Administrative Services
Kathleen N.
Sarah P.
Savannah K.
Tara H.
Environmental Services
Facility Services
Health Care Concierge
Mental Health Therapy
Multicultural Care
Pharmacy
Scheduling Services
Social Work
Support Services
Transplant
Food and Nutrition Services
Imaging
Nursing
Parking Operations
Research
Supply Chain Management
Awards & Recognition
Share Your Story
Life Changing Is
Clinical Excellence Stories
Employee Stories
Administrative Services
Kathleen N.
Sarah P.
Savannah K.
Tara H.
Environmental Services
Facility Services
Health Care Concierge
Mental Health Therapy
Multicultural Care
Pharmacy
Scheduling Services
Social Work
Support Services
Transplant
Food and Nutrition Services
Imaging
Nursing
Parking Operations
Research
Supply Chain Management
Awards & Recognition
Share Your Story

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE
Tara M. — Medical Assistant, Cardiothoracic Surgery
Tara M. — Medical Assistant, Cardiothoracic Surgery

Life Changing Is ... Showing Kindness

Tara H. — Medical Assistant, Cardiothoracic Surgery

"We can change lives by just putting a smile on someone's face and showing them that we care."

When Tara praises the work of the cardiothoracic surgery team at UPMC Western Maryland, she speaks from experience.

An employee of UPMC Western Maryland for five years, Tara recently became a patient herself. And she was impressed by the care she received.

"My dad wasn't always able to be in there with me, but my nurses made sure to be there," she says. "Even through the night, I had a nurse and she sat with me all night."

That experience of being a patient helps Tara relate to those she cares for even more than she did before. Tara says every patient who comes through the doors gets the same comforting treatment she received.

“We look at our patients as family, and that is a huge thing because people get scared when they come here," she says. "In our eyes, they're our family. We're taking care of someone we love."

Tara works as a medical assistant in cardiothoracic surgery. She helps to check patients in and out and assists with procedures, among other duties. She is also a volunteer firefighter and works evenings and weekends at an ice cream shop during the warmer months.

Because UPMC Western Maryland is in a small town, she often runs into former patients.

“It's always nice to see everyone, how well they're healing out in public," she says. "They tell you all these stories about now they're hunting where before they couldn't drag a deer. They can go biking. They can climb. So, it's pretty cool to watch."

Seeing patients go from sick to healthy after surgery makes Tara appreciate her job. She says she loves waking up every day to come to work to help people get better.

"We can just put a smile on someone's face on their darkest day," she says. "Because if you're (in the hospital), it's a bad day. So we can change lives by just putting a smile on someone's face and showing them that we care."

At UPMC, Life Changing Medicine means healing people with kindness.


Learn More About UPMC Careers



Stories like this one have helped UPMC earn local, national, and global honors over the years. See how our commitment to Life Changing Medicine continues to receive recognition.

UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login