Tufts MC True Blue Recipient: Kendra Winters, Intake Admissions Coordinator and the Human
Rights Officer, Department of Psychiatry.
Nomination from Bobby Mendenhall, Department of Psychiatry Resident:
"Her official titles do not even begin to capture the scope of her work. Once patients are on our inpatient unit, Kendra acts as an advocate for patients’ rights. We had a severely mentally ill patient who was admitted involuntarily. This patient’s anger over the ruling extended to the treatment team, and the patient began to ignore them despite their best efforts to make a connection. This behavior made it seemingly impossibly difficult to know how we could help this patient.
"As the Human Rights Officer, Kendra was able to reach the patient. This patient-who had only met the team of doctors and students with hostility and coldness broke down and told Kendra about concerns at the hospital, a desire to go home and what the patient missed being able to do. Kendra was then able to speak on the patient’s behalf to the rest of the treatment team, so we could develop ways to make this patient’s life on the inpatient unit more comfortable. Ultimately, Kendra’s ability to connect with patients, even through the most devastating of illnesses, is what makes her a superhero."
