In healthcare, it’s easy to become numb. Routines become rote. Cynicism creeps in. You hear one too many people cry wolf, and suddenly you stop listening the way you used to.

But I’ve seen what happens when we forget compassion. I’ve also seen what happens when we choose to keep it.

Every time someone walks into my office or calls 911, I remind myself: This might be the worst day of their life. I don’t have to be perfect. But I do have to be present.

And I teach that same mindset to every teammate and trainee I lead. Because desensitization doesn’t make us better providers—it makes us forget why we showed up in the first place.

Compassion is not something you either have or don’t. It’s something you practice, every day, even when it’s hard.