At Compassus, we believe the heart of exceptional care lies in human connection—and in our partnership with OhioHealth at Home, that commitment shines even brighter. Each day, our clinicians bring expertise and empathy into the homes of patients across Ohio, supporting recovery and dignity through moments of challenge and healing.
The following testimonial is a moving reminder of the profound difference compassionate, personalized home-based care can make. Shared by a patient recovering from a traumatic injury, it’s a tribute to the dedication, professionalism and heart that define our OhioHealth at Home in partnership with Compassus team. We are proud to share her story—and proud to work alongside clinicians like Andrea, Jennifer and Miriam, whose impact goes far beyond physical therapy.
“I am writing to give the highest praise possible to three Compassus employees: Andrea Finelli, OT; Jennifer Jaklitsch, PT; and Miriam Loesch, PTA. These three women are all equally wonderful, in their own unique ways.”
“On January 17 of this year, my life changed in an instant when I slipped on a chunk of ice while taking my grandson for a treat after school. I suffered a severe injury to my right ankle, breaking it in three places. I had surgery the following day and spent a total of seven days and six nights in the hospital.”
“I am 77 years old, independent-minded, very tolerant of physical pain, yet this particular traumatic injury really threw me for a loop. I was told by the doctors, in very firm terms, not to put any weight on my injured foot or leg.”
“I am also a conscientious rule follower, so I took this admonition very seriously, and it caused me much anguish, frankly because it was very difficult for me to pivot out of a hospital bed on one foot. Honestly, I was scared, and I worried every time my “bad” foot might touch the floor.”
“Enter my trio of angels: Miriam, Andrea and Jennifer. I am fortunate to have a loving husband and two adult sons who looked after me in so many ways while I was home, confined to my metal hospital bed in our living room. But when these three women started coming into our home, bringing their considerable expertise, their upbeat attitudes and their strong compassion and empathy, I had some hope and brightness shine through a very tough few winter weeks of being housebound and basically immobile.”
“These three women each have very different and lovely personalities, yet the constants they all share are their professionalism, respectful demeanors, creative problem-solving, non-judgmental attitudes, good humor and authentically caring souls. They provided encouragement and support, which I felt and appreciated each and every visit.”
“Just a few examples of how they helped me adjust to my unfortunate situation:
I was embarrassed about the state of our home—Christmas decorations still up, stuff all over the place that I couldn’t attend to—but their attitude was, “Don’t worry about it. Just concentrate on healing.”
“Then when Miriam noticed a scab on my ankle that looked like it may be infected, she encouraged me to contact the surgeon for possible antibiotics, which he prescribed. Then Jennifer regularly measured the scar opening and took pictures to send to the surgeon.”
“Each small milestone—leaving the house in a wheelchair to go to a follow-up appointment or to an important funeral—Andrea and Miriam walked me every step of the way.”
“I won’t list every single helpful thing that they all did, but please know that I would not be where I am today in terms of my recovery if I had not experienced their consistent, genuine concern and expertise.”
“They simply made me feel like it was okay to take things at my own pace—even though they nudged me to try hard—yet they didn’t judge or rush me, which had a very positive psychological effect on me. I tried to accept my state as a patient with their enthusiastic encouragement!”
“Once I got my cast off and was in a boot, they gave me many more exercises to do, watched me stand up, walk paces and even though it seemed so slow to me, they always cheered me on. It was hard for me because of the physical discomfort, but they were immeasurably helpful. Today I walked several yards up and down our driveway—all which would have been unthinkable even a month ago! I believe Jennifer, Miriam and Andrea would have been pleased if they had seen me. No wheelchair, just a cane!”
“It does take a special person to go into this line of work. To enter a stranger’s home and try to help that person recover from a traumatic medical event cannot be easy. From my point of view, these three helpful angels have been such a blessing. Although I am of course glad I’m recovering, I really will miss seeing Miriam, Andrea and Jennifer. They are all rays of sunshine!”
“I hope your organization understands and recognizes how valuable these women are. They are amazing and I wish them well in their continued careers.”
