“His seemingly unending kindness in his interactions with patients and staff” has helped GRH psychiatrist Dr. Abraham Popoola win the hospital’s latest award of excellence.
Dr. Popoola has practiced at GRH for six years. He supports adult mental health patients at GRH’s KW Campus through inpatient care as well as in day clinics.
Dr. Popoola was recognized for meeting the hospital’s values in the following ways:
Compassion: Dr. Popoola exhibits a tremendous capacity for compassion and a non-judgmental attitude toward his patients and their families. The care teams appreciate his seemingly unending kindness in his interactions with patients and staff. This is what allows him to work with some of the most complex patients in our community.
He always wants to ensure that patients are still able to maintain their dignity and their independence as much as possible. He does have a natural ability to easily develop a therapeutic relationship with his patients even under the most difficult circumstances.
Collaboration: Dr. Popoola is a “go-to” person we regularly call on when we have a challenging situation. Our requests for his assistance are met with a consistent calm and poised demeanor. He routinely listens to and respects the opinions of others. He works well with our community partners and is truly respected by the inpatient and outpatient staff. He is always approachable and clearly explains his opinions and assessments in a very respectful way.
He truly exemplifies how to work in an inter-professional team. He always will engage the other team members to ensure that he is getting the best information and assessments available. He continues this by engaging with community partners and ensuring they are included as he gathers information and planning for discharge.
He stands side-by-side with patients when they may be having a particularly difficult time.
Positive attitude: he has a “whatever it takes” and exceptionally-positive attitude toward his work. It is clearly visible that his work is his calling. He remains positive in the midst of difficult situations and graciously offers his encouragement to others.
Professionalism: Dr. Popoola has garnered the trust and respect of his patients, his colleagues and the mental health and addiction team members through his above-reproach conduct relating to confidential situations. His quiet ways and soft sense of humor readily lighten the busyness around him.
It is not uncommon to hear him chatting away with staff and laughing with them in the nurses’ station.
Respect: He shows everyone respect, which is one of the reasons that he is so well loved by the teams. It does not mean that he does not differ in opinions with the teams, but it is done with much respect.
Dr. Popoola is a very humble man and it is not beneath him or unheard of to get up at times and let a visitor or patient in on our unit. He will also give patients their breakfast trays instead of directing them to connect with their nurse. If a patient is knocking on the nursing station door, he will answer it if he is closest.
Dr. Popoola’s nominator added, “Grand River Hospital is very blessed to have Dr. Popoola as part of our team. He truly is a gem and it is very rewarding working with him. It is also reassuring to know that we have such a committed physician that is delivering exceptional care to our patients and their families.”
