Compassion that reaches beyond the emergency department

A meal for a family member. A taxi ride home late at night. A few reassuring words for someone displaced by a wildfire.

For Myriah Hagerman, helping someone through a difficult moment often means looking beyond the immediate reason they came to the hospital.

Hagerman is a behavioral health counselor at UCHealth Parkview Medical Center, where she helps patients and families navigate mental health concerns, substance use and other crises. She was recently recognized through the Celebrating You program for the compassion she shows patients, at times using her own money to provide small comforts when someone needs a little extra help.

“There are times when families come in, parents with their kids, and they need to stay there with their child or spouse,” Hagerman said. “I might buy them a snack or a meal. Sometimes the need is simply getting home. Transportation can be difficult to find late at night, particularly after buses stop running.”

Caring for others has been a common thread throughout Hagerman’s life and nearly 30 years in behavioral health. She said she was always someone who listened and tried to help others. That desire to help others eventually led her to counseling and therapy.

Her career began at a community mental health center in La Junta, Colorado, where she worked with older adults. She later earned her master’s degree and moved into crisis services, drawn to the fast pace and the opportunity to help people through different challenges.

“I think I’ve just always been that helping person,” she said.

That experience has also prepared Hagerman to respond when an entire community is facing a crisis.

Hagerman and her behavioral health colleagues provided support following two recent large-scale emergencies: A multivehicle crash on Interstate 25 and the Aspen Acres Fire. After the crash, the team met with people affected by the incident and helped connect them with behavioral health and community resources.

During the Aspen Acres Fire, team members supported the community through the Pueblo County Disaster Assistance Center. Hagerman worked with people struggling with the stress of being evacuated and displaced from their homes.

“We were able to provide them with support and help them feel reassured that there was something available for them,” she said.

Hagerman has spent nearly eight years at Parkview, but she is quick to credit the people around her when talking about the care they provide.

“We all work together as a team,” she said. “It’s doctors, nurses, techs, behavioral health, EVS, maintenance, security. Supporting each other is so important.”

That teamwork extends to behavioral health colleagues at UCHealth Memorial Hospital who provide additional support to the Parkview team.

“We’re all here together, and we’ll support each other,” Hagerman said.