Published: Feb. 21, 2017
Shannon Kelly, a Patient Access Specialist at Sparrow’s Ionia Hospital, describes her job as “checking Patients in for outpatient care.”
But according to Shannon’s co-worker, Rosa Martinez, who nominated Shannon for a Caregiver Spotlight honor, that hardly scratches the surface of what she contributes to the Sparrow mission.
“Shannon does an extraordinary job with Patient registration,” Rosa wrote. “She verifies insurances before sending the Patients to the departments. She has more knowledge of insurance than anyone I know and does a thorough job with each and every Patient.”
Sparrow honors those like Shannon who provide extraordinary care, making sure the needs of our Patients always come first.
It’s not just what Shannon does, but how she does it. Rosa said: “She is kind and greets every Patient every time with a smile. She always says happy birthday or happy belated birthday to Patients. She always makes sure to thank the veterans for serving the country. She is willing to go above and beyond the call of duty …”
A native of the Ionia area, Shannon has worked for Sparrow for 17 years. She says that aside from her administrative duties, her main priority is to help reduce the stress Patients experience.
“I try to make them feel comfortable, calm them down, ease their anxiety,” she says. “I assure them that they’re in good hands - that everything will be OK.”
As for her overall approach to her job, Shannon described it this way: “I treat everybody equally. I put myself in their shoes and treat them like family members.”
Shannon says that even after 17 years on the job she has no trouble maintaining a positive attitude: “I love my job so much; I enjoy helping others."