Thinking outside the (snack) box fostered trust and improved care

Stephanie Long brought in a bag of high-protein snacks from her home during her shift at the UCHealth Wound Care Clinic – Fort Collins. She had intended to replenish the snack drawer shared among her colleagues.

Then she had a conversation with a new patient, Randol Curtis.

She explained that he needed to try to eat about 100 grams of protein daily, significantly more than a person’s average protein intake.

“You take a lot of history from a new patient, and a big part of wound care is diet and protein,” Long said. “Protein provides the body with the building blocks to help a wound heal – it’s used to build and repair that body tissue. If you don’t have that, it will delay healing.”

Curtis is a veteran. He receives frozen meals through a service, but he also lives off Social Security and food stamps. And while his wound is healing, he’s not been able to work.

Recognizing the potential for her bag of snacks to play a crucial role in supporting health and healing, Long redirected the surplus. Long, who works PRN, added more high-protein snack samples from the clinic, and Curtis left his first visit with two bags of food that would enhance his well-being and wound care.

“A lot of times, you don’t realize people have such food insecurity, but he was very forthcoming,” Long said.

Curtis welcomed the extra help.

“I probably wouldn’t have gone out and bought that food for myself,” Curtis said. “I haven’t been able to work and live on Social Security, so after bills, I’m down to the nitty-gritty.”

The extra gesture from Long made Curtis feel welcomed and respected. He left not only with protein but something more.

“Everyone that I’ve had contact with (at the clinic) has been great, but (Long) was the first one I came in contact with, and she made a lasting impression on me,” Curtis said. “First of all, she was professional and did her job really well. But she was also personable and made me feel comfortable being there. She was all-around genuine – offering it out of kindness and my well-being.”