Winter 2019

Anaicka Lundie

Anaicka Lundie describes her job this way: “My job is in the direct care of patients, in getting to know them and their life stories. In Neurology Clinic, it is not just a phone call or a patient visit, but caring for the whole person and giving them the feeling that they are really taken care of.”

Anaicka Lundie is a tireless, patient, and immensely capable LVN in UCLA Neurology Outpatient Clinic. She works in the Stroke and Neurorehabilitation Clinics as patient coordinator and is on the front lines of patient contact and care. In this role, she takes calls from concerned patients, schedules patient visits, troubleshoots the many elements of a patient evaluation (medical records, need for family members to be present, schedules of the clinicians and room availability) and provides the between-visit patient contact that leads to smooth progression in the care of a neurological disease. This work requires medical insight into the common conditions in her area of neurological disease. Anaicka recalls an instance of an alarmed patient who was taking the medicine clopidogrel (Plavix). The patient sent in photos of bruising in her arms and legs. Working in conjunction with the clinic neurologists, Anaicka knew that these were simply side effects of this form of “blood thinner”, and told the patient what more serious examples of bleeding would look like. On the other hand, in an exercise of rapid judgment, she remembers one call from a patient who could not feel blood pressure pulses in a leg, which seemed cold and tight. Guiding that patient immediately to the emergency department, Anaicka worked quickly for urgent medical evaluation. A patient phone call may mean a prescription refill, and it may mean quick thinking, consultation with a neurologist, and immediate action.

This is the front line of patient care and Anaicka Lundie is often the voice of the clinic. She notes that not all problems can be immediately resolved and a key aspect of her job is to assure the individual patient that she is working for a solution. She notes, “a patient really wants to know that I am on the case, that I am trying and that I am doing my job. This is one of the most meaningful aspects of patient care in the clinic.”

The fundamental element for patient care for Anaicka is compassion. “Put yourself in the patient’s shoes. You need to have empathy and compassion. How would you want your medical condition to be handled?” As a medical provider with a mission, Anaicka Lundie gives compassion with her communication, and practices mercy in the connection with each person’s dignity as a person.

Anaicka Lundie has been an LVN and clinic coordinator in the Neurology clinic since 2007. She works with the Stroke and Neurorehabilitation Programs. Prior to working as an LVN, she was a medical assistant in UCLA Cardiology, where she assisted and monitored patients during exercise stress testing and supervised the Coumadin clinic.

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