Richard "Barry" Sirard (right) received a USF Health Culture Coin from Robert Barraco, MD, MPH, FACS, FCCP, chief academic officer of the Lehigh Valley Health Network Division of Education and associate dean of educational affairs at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine - Lehigh Valley.
Richard 鈥淏arry鈥� Sirard, a third-year medical student in the SELECT program at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, was recently recognized for his compassion and professionalism while assisting a patient during a high-risk delivery.
As Alyssa Minnich went into labor, the room began to fill with many unfamiliar faces. Being that it was her first child and a higher risk pregnancy, she was unsure what to expect. But she was put at ease during the experience by Sirard, describing him as a kind and warm presence from the moment he stepped into the room. Sirard went out of his way to introduce himself, ensuring he was not just another face in the room, and helped the midwife detail all the next steps in the process. And when she needed assistance during the delivery, Sirard stepped in to hold Minnich鈥檚 leg, count to 10 during her pushes and offer words of encouragement. Thanks in part to his efforts, Minnich gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Lillian.
After the delivery, Minnich, who also works as a nurse, wrote a letter of gratitude to Sirard and the delivery team: 鈥淭hank you. In my years of bedside nursing, I鈥檝e seen many students hide in the corner of patient rooms, unwilling to participate. Not Barry. He was professional from the moment he entered my room and treated me as a person, not a learning opportunity. He took the time to get to know my husband and I, shared his passion for medicine, his goal of specializing in urology, and was not afraid to have a hands-on experience. I will forever use him as an example to students to be more like him and not afraid to be engaged.鈥�
For his actions, Sirard received a USF Health Culture Coin during a small ceremony at a Lehigh Valley Health Network hospital in August.