100 Moments

10:10 10.10: Anatomy of a Moment

Cleveland Clinic Middleburg Heights Family Health Center

Middleburg Heights, Ohio
10:10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time

“All kinds of fun stuff.” 

When Diane Stringer was a girl, she loved the children’s book Nurse Nancy. It started her down the path to becoming a nurse herself. With a desire to care for children and improve their health, she was a pediatric nurse, a nursery/NICU nurse and a school nurse. There were other stops along the way, including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Over the span of 40-plus years, she wrote a nursing story all her own.

“And you had an injection?” 

John Jewell, MD, poses the question as he reviews Diane’s chart. When he was a boy, a career in medicine was maybe the farthest thing from his mind. That changed in college, when his passion for science merged with a desire to make a difference in people’s lives. He came to Cleveland Clinic as a resident in 1998.

“I did. It helped a little bit.” 

This morning, the tables are turned: Diane is a patient, not a caregiver. Dr. Jewell is her primary care physician. She has been known to tell him that he lives up to his name. As her medical journey grew more complex, she needed someone who could see the whole picture — coordinating specialists, managing information and truly listening. Dr. Jewell became that trusted partner. 

“What are you noticing?” 

More than a decade ago, Diane was diagnosed with common variable immunodeficiency — CVID for short. The condition leaves her body unable to produce sufficient protective antibodies, making her vulnerable to infections. Her treatment entails weekly self-infusions of immunoglobulin. 

“Well…” 

Today, like every day, 30,000 patient encounters are taking place at Cleveland Clinic locations around the globe. In Exam Room 51, the conversation between Diane and Dr. Jewell continues. Questions. Answers. And in the sacred space between, healing takes hold. 

Photograph by Michael Paukst