As part of his duties, Cody Brown, Lead Patient Transporter at Rapid City Hospital and former Project SEARCH intern, conveys patients in wheelchairs, beds and/or stretchers between patient rooms or to various departments or to discharge. Communication – between Cody and Caregivers and between Cody and patients – is a vital component of the job. It can, however, prove to be a significant though not insurmountable challenge for Cody, who is deaf and wears a cochlear implant.
In a letter expressing his support for the nomination of Compass One – a Monument Health partner and Cody’s employer – for South Dakota’s Outstanding Employer of the Year award, Cody described his initial struggles to understand and hear patients and coworkers. In the letter, he relayed his gratitude for those who took his predicament into consideration and worked with him so he could better understand and be better understood. “I really love my job because it changed me a lot and gave me opportunities. And I learned a lot of things. My job’s number one priority is safety. My passion is helping people. I want the patients to feel happy, comfortable and safe when I transport and discharge them,” Cody wrote.
Thanks in no small part to Cody’s letter, Compass One was subsequently named Outstanding Large Private Employer during the 2024 Governor’s Awards Ceremony this past September at the Capitol Rotunda in Pierre. Cody was among those on hand to receive the award on behalf of Compass One, directly from Governor Kristi Noem herself. Cody later described the experience as “the best day of [his] life.”
Cody’s saga crystalizes Monument Health’s vision of inclusivity as viewed through the prism of the core value of compassion. If we put ourselves in Cody’s place, we can see firsthand the importance of creating an environment where all are welcome and all can feel purposeful in that belonging.
In Cody’s adaptability and determination we can, all of us, find inspiration, and proof that heroism abounds. You just have to know where to look.
Story: Kory Lanphear