Patrice Shafer
'What if I was the patient?'
An artist at heart, Patrice Schafer's focused side serves LTFU patients well
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While that may sound a tad square, Schafer said it comes in handy at the LTFU offices, where she's in charge of keeping patients' charts in order.
"One of my goals when I came to work here was to make sure there was not a single paper out of place in a chart," she said.
Her zest for well-organized charts begins to make sense when Schafer explains what they mean to her.
"All those papers in patients' charts represent a very important part of their lives. When I see them, I always think, 'what if I was the patient and these were my papers? What if they belonged to someone I loved, like my husband?
"So, it is not just about filing. I want to make sure that when doctors and nurses look at a chart, they can find information quickly so they can help our patients," she said.
Schafer came to work at LTFU last year as a temporary worker, but her skills and warm personality quickly earned her an offer of full-time work.
And Schafer, an artist at heart, was surprised by how much she enjoyed her new job and co-workers.
"I have never done anything like this before, but I'm a really organized person. I have worked at Hutchinson Center before, and I love the work that is done here," she said. Her background is in graphic design and packaging. She excelled at making her own art and selling it for many years- from large handmade rugs and pillows to small talisman bags.
During one busy Christmas season, she made 400 of the bags-and sold all of them. But earning a living from creating art is exhausting work, she said.
Today, she occasionally puts pieces together for special friends, most recently to raise money to help children left without homes after the 2004 tsunami that struck Thailand and other countries.
She's been married to her husband, Howard, a therapist, for 28 years. They have a son and two grandchildren. When not working, they like to travel to the Oregon Coast, especially at this time of the year. "We both love to go to the ocean, and there's something special about the rough waters of the Oregon Coast," she said.
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