Linda Robbins-Ping describes her role as a “Jack of all trades.” As a quality programs clinical assistant, she is “on the phone a lot,” following up with patients after they have been seen in the ED, contacting patients who have tested positive for COVID after having a test at CRH, and working to schedule patients for routine exams.

After patients have been seen in the Emergency Department, Linda calls them to see how they are feeling, if they received medications and are taking them, and to help get them scheduled for a follow-up appointment with their provider. At other times, she contacts patients to remind them they need to schedule certain exams – such as a colonoscopy, a mammogram, or a diabetic eye exam. With COVID, she contacts patients who receive a positive test result. She gives them instructions on what they should do, based on the CDC guidelines, and tries to help out as much as she can to calm their nerves. She said lately she and the team have talked with more parents because their children have tested positive for COVID.

Linda works at the Tech Center and has been at CRH for four years. When she started, she and the other quality programs clinical assistants mostly made follow-up calls to ED patients. “We do all the behind the scenes things that nobody knows about.” She really enjoys talking with patients over the phone. “I’m a yapper,” she said. Because some of them have tested positive for COVID and are not feeling well or have concerns, they appreciate being able to talk with her. “You don’t get the ‘thank you for calling.’ You get ‘thank you, thank you, thank you.’ They’re appreciative,” she said. She shared that she spoke with a mother of a patient recently who was scared because her child had tested positive for COVID. Linda helped settle the mother down and to let her know what to expect. She tries to be reassuring and to give patients and family members as much information as possible to support them.

Linda really enjoys working with her team. “It’s the people you work with that make your job. You’re with them more than you are with your family sometimes,” she said. “I really like my job. I like doing this. I like talking to patients.”

Thank you for being part of the team, Linda, and for providing a supportive voice to our patients and family members!