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In This Issue:
Carol Mulkern, Family Liaison
For nearly two years, Carol Mulkern has been providing updates and words of comfort to family members who anxiously wait as their loved ones undergo cardiovascular procedures at the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center.
“When patients have procedures, family members are the ones who have to shoulder the emotional load,” said Mulkern, family liaison at the Shapiro Patient and Family Center. “We try to do whatever we can to make sure they are at ease and always keep them informed.”
Mulkern is one of 10 admitting officers at the center who keep relatives up-to-speed as patients undergo procedures such as cardiac bypass surgery and cardiac catheterizations, just to name a few.
Mulkern joined the BWH staff in 2008 as a family liaison in the Robert and Ronnie Bretholtz Center for Patients and Families, and later that year, she moved to the center at Shapiro, which is staffed weekdays, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and provides family members with computer stations, TVs, books, magazines and even a separate play area for children.
She enjoys the bonds she forms with families in a very short amount of time. “When they come in, just like patients, their level of anxiety is very high, but by the time they leave, we’re on a first name basis,” said Mulkern, who also enjoys the teamwork among her colleagues.
Mulkern and her fellow family liaisons also work closely with physicians, nurses and other patient care staff as they remain in constant contact while patients undergo procedures.
Manager of Patient Access Services Helen Thompson said Mulkern represents many of the staff who are dedicated to providing patients with the best possible experience.
“Our excellent and professional clinical staff take care of our patients, and we do our part by helping to care for their families,” Thompson said.