Meet Andrea Hammond, RN: Patient Care is Anywhere It’s Needed

“It’s what I hope someone would do for me.”

That’s how Andrea Hammond, RN, described a recent Friday morning.

She was running late for her shift in our Witting Surgical Center, but saw a man fall in the middle of the street.

“He was an older gentleman, and I pulled over to make sure he was okay,” Andrea says.

The man was alert, but she quickly decided to turn her car around and help him.

“He could tell me his name and birthdate, but it looked as though he may have dislocated his leg. I immediately called 911 to get help,” she said.

While they waited, the man chatted with Andrea and was in good spirits, despite the current circumstance. He also profusely thanked her for stopping and waiting with him.

“He told me ‘Someone knew I needed you here this morning.’ He must’ve thanked me 10 times. But I hope anyone coming upon a similar situation would’ve done the same thing,” she said.

When the ambulance arrived, Andrea shared what she had witnessed with the EMTs. Once the man was safely in their care and knew he was on his way to Crouse, Andrea headed off to work, still managing to clock in on time.

The patient wound up having hip replacement surgery, performed by Timothy Izant, MD.

“Everyone drives by a person in distress and turns their heads the other way. It takes someone special, with a huge heart, to not only push away the stress of everyday life, but take risk and turn her car around to assist this man,” Dr. Izant said. “Especially in this current pandemic, we need more selfless and caring individuals like Andrea to make life better.”

Although the patient’s surgery took place after Andrea’s shift had ended, when she found out he was still in the hospital on Monday, she took the time to visit him in his room.

“He thanked me again, but I was just happy he was doing well,” Andrea said.

While that Friday morning was certainly out-of-the-ordinary for her, Andrea didn’t hesitate to help. She is a true example of Carepassion at Crouse.

Andrea Hammond, RN, is a graduate of the Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital. She attended classes part-time while working full-time at Crouse. In 2019, she was the recipient of the Spirit of Nursing Award.

Laurie Clark is the Communications and Digital Media Manager at Crouse Health.