Marguerita checks all of the boxes (Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence) every month when I see her for my allergy shots. I never feel like I'm just another number. She never fails to ask about my dog by name. She makes me feel like a friend, rather than just another patient. Back in 2013, when I saw her for my scheduled allergy shots, I had been feeling lethargic for a few days. My car broke down a few days earlier and I had to walk 3 miles home in 90-degree temperatures. I assumed that I was just dehydrated from that. Marguerita took one look at me (apparently, I appeared jaundiced) and out of concern for my wellbeing, she put me in a wheelchair and had me taken down to the ER.
As it turns out, I wasn't merely dehydrated. My hemoglobin was at 4.3 and I was literally "circling the drain." It was determined that I was suffering from a rare blood disorder (autoimmune hemolytic anemia). I spent most of the next month in the hospital, receiving massive doses of prednisone to elevate my red blood cell count upwards the normal range. I might add that while I was in the hospital, Marguerita frequently stopped by my room just to check on me. As far as I am concerned, she literally saved my life.