Lesliejoy Sampilo

LPN, WellMed at Dr. Phillips/WellMed at Sand Lake Commons, Orlando

As a health care coordinator, Lesliejoy teaches patients about their conditions and empowers them to improve their quality of life.

Often the challenge of helping patients with their treatments is to convince them to follow doctors’ orders. One particular patient, Harry Edmiston, has several chronic conditions, including coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. Recently, Harry made several trips to the emergency room where he was diagnosed with dehydration.

When he became dehydrated, his blood pressure would drop sharply, and so would his energy level. Clearly, Harry needed to understand the impact of dehydration on his blood pressure and energy level.

Lesliejoy’s goal was to teach Harry to keep himself hydrated, both to avoid the emergency room and to support his overall health and wellbeing. The problem was that Harry couldn’t drink enough water to stay hydrated, partly because he has to use an ileostomy bag to remove intestinal waste from his body.

To build trust with Harry, Lesliejoy advised him to call WellMed first before going to the hospital. She also informed him about resources available at the clinic. In addition, she worked with his provider to have Harry try some over-the-counter products to treat his dehydration.

She also explained that he could receive hydration treatments through home health care services instead of going to the ER. Having a field nurse make a home visit was more convenient and less disruptive to his routine.

Furthermore, Lesliejoy taught Harry how to check his own vital signs and report them to her. By doing this, she was encouraging him to participate actively in his own care. It gave him more confidence and enabled him to think more positively. When faced with serious illness, having some sense of control in one’s life is crucial, and it can motivate a patient to fight and survive. Harry has learned to appreciate Lesliejoy’s care and concern for his wellbeing and it gave him a more positive outlook.

Betty Edmiston, Harry’s wife of over 30 years, appreciates all that Lesliejoy does for her husband. “We adore her,” Betty said, describing Lesliejoy as a “knowledgeable people person” who knows her job and does it well. “She knows how to get the information she needs and does it in a professional, caring way.”