Sharing Good Fortune
A commitment from Dr. Sandra Lyness will make a life-changing difference for patients
Dedicating her life to the health of others is not just a career for Dr. Sandra Lyness, it is a calling and, as she describes it, a stroke of luck. Building on her invaluable contributions to the community as a clinical psychologist and professor, and in recognition of the compassionate expertise at Trinity Health Oakland, Dr. Lyness chose to make a generous philanthropic gift for our hospital's ER project. More specifically, her support will help to create one of the only Behavioral Health ERs in the state within the new ER to provide specialized emergency care for patients experiencing a mental health crisis. In addition, Dr. Lyness made a significant legacy bequest commitment to the hospital as part of her estate planning to help serve future generations.
Dr. Lyness, who started her career as a speech pathologist within the schools, saw that her students often faced complex issues that made an impact on their sense of wellbeing. This led Dr. Lyness to pursue a PhD in psychology and to her roles as a professor and director of the Learning Abilities Laboratory clinic at Wayne State University, as a consultant for television news, and as a partner in a comprehensive psychological clinic. She shared she feels lucky to have had great mentorship; curiosity to learn; the drive to care, teach and advocate; and energy, all of which continue to inspire her life's work.
"My greatest satisfaction is that I have established what I would call a generational practice. I am seeing children of children that I saw several decades ago. Life circumstances change as we get older and the need for psychological direction is ongoing,'" shared Dr. Lyness. "I loved the television show, Marcus Welby, M.D.,and was inspired by the idea of providing a lifetime of care. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to make patients feel heard and important, and to have some success in their healing so that they know they can count on me for future needs or for their families."
When Dr. Lyness was invited to learn about Trinity Health Oakland's ER project and plans to include a designated Behavioral Health ER, she thought back to patients who she had assisted through the ER experience. She was inspired to give when she thought of the dignity, compassion, respect and expertise she had seen provided to her patients by the hospital team.
As an expert in her field, Dr. Lyness is also able to provide knowledge and experience that adds value to plans for addressing mental health crises. She shares that the Behavioral Health ER needs to include, "A high-level of training for staff; a team who understands the multiple issues a patient is facing; a team who takes time to hear the patient and their loved ones because medical history is important; and a focus on upholding privacy and dignity for patients."
Dr. Lyness attributes her giving to years of experience with the hospital and the trusting relationships she has built, including with hospital leadership and with her own personal physicians. As the hospital prepares to begin renovations to create the new ER, Dr. Lyness's bequest will support medical excellence, a remarkable patient experience and community health and wellness. Her giving legacy builds on her decades of service and reflects how deeply she cares about others and it will ultimately touch thousands of lives."
