Employee Spotlight: Dr. James Boal

-
Name: Dr. James Boal, Medical Director

How long have you worked here?
16 years and six days.

What made you decide to work here?
When I was in medical school and residency I had an interest in hospice, which I had developed by spending time with Dr. John Finn in hospice care at Hospice of Michigan. I came to Angela Hospice as part of a rotation for one of my senior year residencies and he mentioned that they paid a substantial amount for doctors on an hourly basis, so I did moonlighting here my senior year.

This was 2000 and that year the entire medical community underwent a financial change where hospitals stopped employing doctors. So lots of opportunities had disappeared and dried up. Sister Giovanni was very generous and turned my moonlighting position into a full-time job. And I never left.

How had you heard of Angela Hospice?
I had actually worked with Hospice of Michigan a lot and for this particular rotation I was required to go to a hospice and I thought I would try a different one. So this was just the next one I saw on the list.

Dr. Boal received his 15-years of service pin last year.
Pictured with Angela Hospice Director of Social Work
and Bereavement Services Rebecca DeRaud, and
President/CEO Margot Parr.
What’s a typical day like for you?
For me – when I’m not doing administrative tasks – I spend the middle of my day over at St. Mary Mercy Livonia Hospital doing palliative care, servicing hospice patients there and also palliative care patients. That’s my main clinical job, but I’m also in charge of all the other physicians and nurse practitioners here so there’s a lot of management as well. Also, I sort through more difficult patient situations that come up in our home care and Care Center.

What is your favorite part about working at Angela Hospice?
The opportunity I have to help people at the end of their life.

What is one of your favorite memories from your time at Angela Hospice?
I can’t think of one. There are just a string of patients…we’ve taken care of over 33,000 patients since we got our new computer system…but there are certain patients that certainly have stronger memories and attachments, usually people I had the chance to spend a little bit more time with and work with on a long-term basis. So I can’t think of one but just lots of different patient interactions. It’s a people job. You get to work with good people.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Room for Brian

-
Image
   Angela Hospice's donor-supported Care Center     provided Brian with the care he needed -- and        brought his family peace of mind. The Angela Hospice Care Center has always been a community-driven labor of love. From its construction in the early 1990s; to its expansion a decade and a half later; and right through to the present, where day-to-day operations are supported by the generosity of donors and friends – the Care Center is a rare and valuable community resource made possible by Angela Hospice’s caring supporters. It’s also a godsend for families like the Wilson’s. When their son came to stay with them over Christmas last year, the brain tumor he had been determined to fight for nearly 11 years began to overcome him. At 30 years old, Brian was 6’2” and his disease had progressed to the point that he could no longer walk on his own. How would his parents take care of him in their home that was not wheelchair accessible? The Angela Hospice Care Center prov
Read more

Volunteer Spotlight: Ingrid Lasley

-
Image
Name: Ingrid Lasley How long have you been a volunteer? I started volunteering about 2 ½ years ago. What areas do you work in/what sort of tasks do you do as a volunteer? I cover the receptionist desk for lunch hours, which includes telephone calls. I have covered Tree of Life shifts for the past 2 years and plan to volunteer again this season. I also have been involved in numerous mailings and last year’s Walk of Remembrance. What made you decide to become a volunteer? I stopped working a few years ago and decided I could use my spare time best by volunteering. I am enjoying every minute! Why Angela Hospice? Ingrid with fellow volunteer Geri Orlowski My mother passed away in 2012 in Buffalo, NY, and after witnessing the treatment my mother received at a hospice facility there, I knew I wanted to be part of such a kind and caring group. What is your favorite part about volunteering? I have enjoyed meeting so many people who have demonstrated so many ways one can g
Read more

Sweet, Precious Time

-
Image
Debbie Bennett was called to be a steadfast wife to husband Thomas and a devoted mother to their  children, Christopher, Kelly, and Robin. She has relied on God to get through the hard times her family has faced, and has been grateful that Angela Hospice was there too, when she really needed support. Robin & Chris In 1989, at the age of 12, Christopher, her oldest child, was diagnosed with a rare neurological disease called Friedreich's Ataxia (FA). Chris was a smart and funny music-lover, and accomplished artist who was beloved by his family and many friends. By his junior year in high school, he began to use a wheelchair. As with many diseases of the nervous system, there has never been a cure or effective treatment for FA. Debbie and her family enlisted Angela Hospice's help to care for Chris before he passed away in 2004. He was just 26 years old. "I didn't know what to expect...hospice comes in and does so much more than care for a sick person, they
Read more