Stray Cats




My husband likes to joke that I’m the patron saint of lost animals in our neighborhood, and it’s true. I have always felt an innate desire to help those less fortunate or who may be outsiders. While this can have a different dimension when you are dealing with people instead of pets, I feel an equally strong obligation to help others when I have the chance.

Several years ago, I fired a woman who had crossed the line. In our profession, a person is usually terminated either due to underperformance, excessive absenteeism or tardiness, inappropriate behavior with staff or patients, or a breach of patient confidentiality.

In this case, the employee was underperforming and failed to show up for several shifts without any notice whatsoever. Initially, I gave her a verbal warning, and she was grateful. She gave me a laundry list of personal issues and said she was so caught up in her personal drama that she didn’t realize how she was neglecting her work.

When things didn’t improve, I gave her a written warning. I also had a brief conversation with the head physician. After a sufficient length of time where she proved incapable of improvement, I had her sign a separation agreement, and she was terminated.

It should never be a surprise when someone is let go. The documentation and process involved should make all options clear, including the negative one. I try to give people as much latitude as possible, but sometimes that winds up being a case of giving them just enough rope to hang themselves.

Anyway, I thought I’d never hear from this woman again. In fact, we’d exchanged a few words on her way out, which I had always regretted. A few months ago, I got a call from her. She sounded calm and gracious, and she asked me if I would meet her for lunch. She said she was sorry for how things had turned out, and she wanted to talk to me about it.

I realize many of you wouldn’t have gone, but of course you know I did, and I’m glad for it. She was dressed nicely, and her demeanor was very different. She told me she had gotten out of her bad relationship, and finished her education. She said my firing her was a wake-up call, and that it made her determined to change her life.

She told me that she was up for a job at a medical technology company, and that she could use a good reference. It was a risk, but I backed her up. She got the job, and from all reports, is doing very well.

I realize that I took an enormous risk, but sometimes people change. I value my reputation in the local medical community, but I would be a poor steward of that authority if I didn’t occasionally use it to help people in need.

I’m not sure we’ll ever be friends, this woman and I, but like a stray cat, she wandered in and needed support. I gave her what help I could and let her go her own way. Sometimes all anyone needs is a nudge in the right direction.

As always, I’d love to hear what you have to say. Any stray cats you’ve helped straighten out from a wayward course?