Savanna Cowan, office assistant at Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Specialists, was finishing her shift and heading to class at Salisbury University, where she is currently pursuing a career in nursing. On her way out, she noticed a patient who had fallen in the garage. Without thinking twice, she rushed over to help the patient before going inside to get a wheelchair and her manager for more help.
“I treat others the same I would want for myself or a family member,” Savanna says. “I love helping people and I always want to make sure they have a good experience.”
Savanna applied to work at Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) after her cousin encouraged her to join the same practice where she was working. Motivated by her cousin’s positive experience, Savanna submitted an application and, on the same day of her interview, was offered the position. “I was really interested when I went in for the interview and they told me what my job duties would entail,” she recalls. “Hearing of all the things I could do was really interesting to me, and I immediately accepted.”
Those duties include scheduling patients to helping providers sort their mailboxes. But Savanna’s favorite thing to do is make others smile. “As an office assistant, I’m the first person patients see,” she explains. “I greet them and make sure I get them where they need to be. But when I see a patient smile as they walk away or hear ‘thank you,’ that’s what I find most rewarding.”
Savanna credits some events in her life for guiding her career decisions.
When she was in fourth grade, her father went into cardiac arrest, requiring him to get surgery. Hit with uncertainty at the time, the incident also served as motivation for Savanna to seek a career that would allow her to help others. “I went through that when I was eight-years old,” she says. “I know what it feels like and I want to be able to help other families with young children who have to face a similar situation.”
Most recently, Savanna’s family welcomed three babies born prematurely. The births helped her identify her next big step. “When I went into the NICU to meet my little cousin and then to meet my boyfriend’s new niece and nephew, that’s when I knew this is definitely what I want to do,” Savanna says.
In the next five to 10 years, Savanna envisions herself working as a NICU nurse. While she is completing her nursing degree, Savanna is focusing on helping patients receive their best experience with what she says is her strongest asset: her kindness and her smile.
Pro tip: “Always be nice to others and just keep smiling.”
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