At Bethany Children’s Health Center, our employees truly are the heartbeat that drives the organization. Every day, through the care and service they provide, they live our mission of maximizing the potential of every child and exemplify our core values of compassion, integrity, excellence, service and stewardship.
We hope you enjoy getting to know our amazing employees through our Heartbeat profiles.
How Patient Referral Liaison, Raigon Watkins, fills families with hope and love during difficult times
One of the first employees families meet when they are referred to Bethany Children’s Health Center is the Patient Referral Liaison. In that role, Raigon Watkins interacts with families looking for answers to their children’s healthcare and rehabilitation needs.
“When I first meet the patient and the family, they are at possibly the worst moment in their lives. Some of the emotions I see in families are fear of change, hopelessness, and anger about what has happened to their child. They are tired and overwhelmed in their journey and have had to make difficult decisions,” Raigon shares.
The reward in Raigon’s day-to-day is having the opportunity to talk with families and let them know how the hospital can help both the child and the family. “I would say that after hearing about all of the services we provide at the hospital, most families are filled with hope,” she says.
The South Carolina native came to Oklahoma with her husband, Sam, after he retired from the Army Elite Airborne community after 10 years of service. He was called to ministry and had the opportunity to start Branches Church OKC in Del City.
Helping others has always been a goal for Raigon, who was inspired to become a nurse by her grandmother. As she pursued her career in Oklahoma, she was impressed by the Christian values of the hospital, and says, “I saw how happy the kids were and how the employees loved them so much.”
She started at the hospital in April of 2016 as a staff nurse, and later that year moved into the Patient Referral Liaison position.
Raigon receives patient referrals and gathers information from the referral source to develop a complete picture of the patient and their needs to pass on to the teams at the hospital. Her job also includes going on rounds with TCCRH physicians at referring hospitals and attending meetings at other community hospitals.
“Representing the hospital as a liaison in the medical community means a lot to me,” she says, “and as the first person that families meet, I always strive to be positive and uplifting.”
Fun Facts:
First Job: CNA in a nursing home
Favorite way to spend time: Family time
Favorite movie: The Notebook
Favorite Food: “I love pretty much anything chocolate.”
Favorite inspirational verse: Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Dream weekend: “A cottage somewhere in Ireland”
From the Bucket List: “Tour Ireland and Scotland”