Physician’s kindness shown through gift of shoes to patient

Crystal D. Narcisse, M.D., honored with Norton Healthcare’s Good Samaritan Award for act of compassion

Crystal Narcisse, M.D., did not think twice about taking off her new tennis shoes and giving them to the patient in front of her, whose own shoes were falling apart.

Rain was pouring on the brisk day in February 2019, and Dr. Narcisse, an internal medicine physician and pediatrician at Norton Community Medical Associates – Hurstbourne, simply could not let the patient, a woman in her 70s facing the early stages of dementia, leave without handing over her shoes.

Although they happened to wear the same size, the woman hesitated to take Dr. Narcisse’s shoes, but after some encouragement, she finally agreed.

Dr. Narcisse said her kindness toward others comes from how she was raised. If her mother and father saw someone who was hungry, they would give them money or go to the store and buy food for them.

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“My parents would literally take the shirt off their backs and give it to someone,” Dr. Narcisse said. “They set that example for me since I was small, so for me to give the patient my shoes, it wasn’t even a second thought.”

Dr. Narcisse went into medicine because she wanted to help others through the care she provides. She said helping people live better lives is what grounds her.

“To motivate patients to lead healthy lives and make them feel better about themselves, that’s how we as health care providers make the world a better place,” Dr. Narcisse said. “If I can change someone’s thinking about themselves, that’s huge.”

Norton Healthcare conferred the Good Samaritan Award to Dr. Narcisse in 2019 for setting the standard for quality and caring by exhibiting the highest compassion for her patients and others. 

The Good Samaritan Award honors The Rev. John N. Norton, whose name Norton Healthcare carries and who became recognized as a good Samaritan because of his dedicated, selfless service to individuals in our community. This honor is given to employees who go above and beyond the call of duty by performing extraordinary acts of service for others. It represents the pinnacle of recognition for service excellence at Norton Healthcare.

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