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Franklynn Burgess, a longtime surgical services volunteer at Los Angeles Medical Center, stands next to Vicky Baniqued, department administrator for the hospital\u2019s Cardiac Surgery Department.<\/p>\n
When Tracy Watson recently arrived at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (LAMC) \u2013 which serves Kaiser Permanente members in Pasadena \u2013 on the morning of her husband\u2019s heart surgery, the uncertainty felt overwhelming.<\/p>\n
Her husband, Richard \u201cDick\u201d Watson, a newly enrolled Kaiser Permanente member and school crossing guard, was scheduled for a triple bypass and valve replacement\u2014procedures that all began with what they believed would be a standard checkup. \u201cIf it hadn\u2019t been for that physical, we never would have known anything was wrong,\u201d Tracy said.<\/p>\n
Watson\u2019s path to that day had moved quickly. After his primary care physician\u00a0detected a heart murmur during his initial physical exam, he was referred for further testing at Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center.<\/p>\n
A series of evaluations\u2014including an EKG, a stress test and cardiac catheterization\u2014found that Watson\u2019s heart wasn\u2019t functioning as it should, leading to a referral to the cardiac surgery clinic at LAMC for evaluation with Cardiac Surgeon Dr. Kwok Yun.<\/p>\n
The coordinated communication between primary care, cardiology and cardiac surgery ensured that Watson reached the operating room at the right time. Before the surgery even began, Tracy felt reassured by the way the teams approached his care. \u201cFrom the very beginning, everyone made us feel like we were in good hands,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cEvery person we met took the time to help us understand what was happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
By the time she arrived at the hospital for the surgery itself, Tracy trusted the care team\u2014but the emotional weight of waiting alone was still heavy. That\u2019s when Franklynn Burgess, a longtime LAMC surgical services volunteer, introduced himself.<\/p>\n
Burgess has supported families in LAMC\u2019s\u00a0surgical waiting area for years, helping them navigate what can be an intimidating and uncertain process. He walked Tracy step\u2011by\u2011step through what the day would look like: when she could expect updates, how long each phase of surgery typically takes, what communication from the surgeon usually includes, and what the first hours of recovery tend to involve.<\/p>\n
As more families arrived, he gently brought them into a shared conversation, creating a small community of people experiencing the same fears, hopes and long hours. His clarity and calmness transformed the environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt completely changed how I got through those hours,\u201d Tracy\u00a0said. \u201cHe helped me feel supported. It made all the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Burgess\u2019 ability to connect with families comes from his own lived experience. A retired Kaiser Permanente member, he has undergone both major cardiac and spinal surgeries. \u201cWhen you\u2019ve been through things as a patient, you don\u2019t forget it,\u201d he said. \u201cYou remember what it feels like to wait; to worry. That\u2019s why I volunteer\u2014so no one has to sit with that feeling alone.\u201d He added, \u201cThe care I received here meant a lot to me. Giving back is my way of honoring that.\u201d<\/p>\n
His impact is felt throughout the surgical services department. \u201cVolunteers like Franklynn play an essential role in caring for our community,\u201d said Kelly Duran, senior manager, Operations Volunteer Services at LAMC. \u201cTheir presence brings comfort, humanity, and connection to moments that can be incredibly stressful for families.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sentiment is echoed by the clinical teams as well. \u201cCompassion is a vital part of healing, and volunteers like Franklynn strengthen the entire care experience,\u201d said Vicky Baniqued, department administrator for Cardiac Surgery at LAMC. \u201cHe helps families feel informed, less anxious, and more confident in the care their loved ones are receiving.\u201d<\/p>\n
After surgery, Watson was cared for in the Cardiac Surgery Unit, where the team monitored him closely, helped him begin\u00a0breathing independently and supported his first steps toward mobility. Their attentiveness helped stabilize his recovery, and Tracy said she felt unexpectedly comfortable going home that first night. \u201cKnowing the team was right there with him made it easier to leave,\u201d she said. \u201cThey watched him like he was their own family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, Watson is walking daily and regaining strength. \u201cWe\u2019re just grateful,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cEveryone\u2014from the first doctor to the cardiology team to\u00a0the surgical teams and volunteers like Franklynn\u2014played a part in getting us here.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Burgess, that\u2019s exactly why he continues to volunteer. \u201cIf I can help one family feel steadier, even for a moment, that\u2019s what matters,\u201d he said with a smile.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Franklynn Burgess, a longtime surgical services volunteer at Los Angeles Medical Center, stands next to Vicky Baniqued, department…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":264049,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[26,1984,1986,421,48,52,51,1979,1985,23,47,1978,50,49,1987,1992,1993,1977,1989,1982,1980,1991,1983,1988,1990,1981],"class_list":{"0":"post-264048","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-breaking-news","9":"tag-calendar","10":"tag-community-news","11":"tag-food-and-drink","12":"tag-la","13":"tag-la-headlines","14":"tag-la-news","15":"tag-latest-news","16":"tag-lifestyles","17":"tag-local-news","18":"tag-los-angeles","19":"tag-los-angeles-county-news","20":"tag-los-angeles-headlines","21":"tag-los-angeles-news","22":"tag-nonprofit-news","23":"tag-official-events-calendar","24":"tag-old-town-pasadena-news","25":"tag-pasadena","26":"tag-pasadena-arts-and-culture","27":"tag-pasadena-city-guide","28":"tag-pasadena-events","29":"tag-pasadena-living","30":"tag-pasadena-restaurants","31":"tag-pasadena-shopping-news","32":"tag-popular-things-to-do-in-pasadena","33":"tag-things-to-do-in-pasadena"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=264048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264048\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/264049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=264048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=264048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=264048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}