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“Don’t forget your parking garage ticket if you have one,” Banegas says in Spanish after tucking a blanket around the patient’s legs.īanegas doesn’t leave the patient once they get to the designated clinic-instead, she helps the woman check in for her appointment and asks if she would like any water while she waits. Then they’re off-up a ramp and into the much warmer UHC building. She asks for the woman’s name and appointment info, which she writes down into a log book. She grabs a wheelchair and gently helps the woman into it-and the two immediately strike up a conversation in Spanish. “So always expressing kindness and a simple smile can go a long way.”īanegas approaches one woman who is on her own and is unable to walk very far without stopping to sit. “Many times, people may be worried, confused or in pain- because either themselves or a family member are sick or hurt,” says Alexander. Some patients are accompanied by family members, others come alone. Just before the outpatient clinics open at 8 a.m., vehicles dropping off patients begin arriving at the parking garage. “That way we don’t have to leave patients waiting while we go round the wheelchairs up later.” “It can get really busy, so we try to have a dozen or so wheelchairs cleaned and ready to go,” explains Banegas. Even serious-looking passersby can’t help but crack a smile when they see the duo intently wiping down wheelchairs and lining them up in preparation for patient arrivals.
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On average, the two help transport about 60 to 70 patients a day by wheelchair to the clinics-which cover a variety of specialties such as dermatology, cancer care and endoscopy.īanegas and Alexander take turns saying “Good morning!” to UTMB employees who are making their way from the parking garage to the main building. Dressed in warm clothes and rain jackets, the pair doesn’t let the wintry conditions dampen their mood as they prepare for the day ahead.įor the past two years, they have have worked as a team for Hospital Transportation Services, stationed next to the parking garage behind UTMB Health Clinics, commonly referred to as “UHC.” From there, they stand ready to assist anyone who needs help getting to or from their outpatient clinic appointment. In fact, the December day I meet up with Banegas and Alexander is downright miserable, with freezing rain and high winds. “I have a sunny disposition-that’s the way I prefer to be,” says Alexander as he arrives to UTMB’s Galveston Campus on a morning that is anything but sunny. It’s about providing excellent customer service, supporting patients when they need it most-and always greeting everyone who comes through the door with a smile. For Jeimmy Banegas and Darion Alexander, working as patient transporters means much more than just taking patients from point A to point B.