Meet Christina Eder, porter, Misericordia Community Hospital

With great loss can come incredible gain, and that was the case for Christina Eder.

“My dad was very sick with a brain tumor and liver cancer,” says Christina. “When he died in my arms, I made the decision that I wanted to do something to help others.”

It was only a few months before Christina acted on that dream, starting at the Misericordia Community Hospital as a porter, transporting patients between departments to support health care aides, nurses and doctors.

“I absolutely love my job,” says Christina. “I love the people, and I love Covenant Health. 

"I never even thought of health care. I never thought I was good enough for health care, but now being in health care for almost four years, it is my passion. It makes me happy if I can leave work knowing I made a difference and I made my patients smile.”

Christina is a model for Covenant’s mission of providing compassionate care for the whole person — body, mind and soul. She takes great pride in ensuring patients are comfortable and happy, she says.

“To get them laughing, I always say, ‘No promises, we’re not going to crash.’ Lots of times, they’re scared, they’re alone or they’ve been there for a few hours, so if I can make them laugh and make them forget about the pain just for a minute, I’m going to do that.”

“Christina is dedicated to providing excellent care to the people we serve,” says Amanda Magee, manager, environmental and portering services. “She has a warm, bubbly personality and always looks for ways to make those around her smile.”

Christina is one of 245 support staff within the environmental services and portering department, which includes a broad range of housekeeping and other services. The complex network of support staff at the Misericordia includes many of the behind-the-scenes heroes who keep the hospital humming.

“During the short time the porters spend with each patient throughout the transport journey, they provide an extra level of personal, compassionate care,” says Amanda. “They take the time to ensure patients are comfortable, have everything they need and are warm enough, and, when needed, they simply offer a listening ear. These small but meaningful acts of kindness help reassure patients, reduce anxiety and contribute to a positive healthcare experience.”

Christina’s passion has made her memorable to patients and their families; she bursts with well-deserved pride while mentioning she often gets recognized outside of the hospital.

We all know that hospital stays are rarely easy, but it’s the passionate and caring professionals like Christina who help turn moments of uncertainty into moments of comfort when they’re needed the most.