When Blue Olson gets in his van, good things happen
Every day that he’s on the road around Bemidji, Minnesota, is a day he’s helping people
Olson is a driver for Sanford behavioral health, and it’s his job to bring patients who couldn’t otherwise make it on their own to their appointments in Bemidji
“I don’t have reliable transportation,” said Natalie Reuss, a behavioral health patient who uses the Sanford service. “I was missing appointments or being late for appointments, which does impede your care.”
Thanks to Olson, now she’s always on time
“It was a huge relief for me,” Reuss said
Olson provides her with a pickup schedule, but if anything changes with appointments or personal schedules, they stay in touch. On the ride, these two get along like old friends
“I joke around with him a lot and we have a lot of fun,” Reuss said. “It’s a part of my day that I look forward to.”
Naturally Blue
The ride service is available for clinic patients who request it on a first-come, first-served basis. It is a free service, offered by the Sanford Bemidji behavioral health department, without any outside funding or grants. According to Anna Chock, manager for outpatient services at the behavioral health clinic, offering the service for free far outweighs the cost because without transportation, dozens of patients each week would not receive the care they need
Olson has been driving for about five years now, ever since the program started. He can travel 50 miles roundtrip to pick up and drop off behavioral health patients in need. His most important skill, though, isn’t behind the wheel. It’s the way he makes people feel
“His attitude is everything,” said Chock. “He’s very laid back, very low key, but also is really kind of fun for people to spend some time with.”
Outside of Sanford, Olson is a baseball coach. He used to work in a special ed program at a local school. And he even worked as a bouncer for awhile too
Olson can talk to anyone. He says that’s something that just comes naturally to him
“That’s just kind of who I am,” said Olson. “Treat everyone with respect and be nice to people. They’ll be nice to you back.”
His own type of patient care
That attitude is especially important to the patients he interacts with during some very vulnerable moments
“He sees people gearing up for really tough appointments, and he sees them after appointments that may have been completely life altering,” said Chock
So it’s not just the transportation itself that makes this such a valuable service. It’s the driver too
“You kind of need to be able to relate a little bit to everybody, because there are so many different people from different walks of life,” Olson said
Olson estimates that he drives around 1,500 miles per month—and he’s put on more than 65,000 miles in total—all while being whatever his patient needs him to be
“Whatever happens in the van stays in the van,” Olson said. “Some people, they get in the van and I say hello and I don’t get to say anything else. They just talk the whole time about whatever. Other ones, it’s kind of like, ‘Hello,’ then they don’t say anything and you just kind of leave it at that. Maybe they want to ride in silence, which is fine. We just turn up the radio. Some, we gotta turn down the radio because we’re talking too much.”
It’s his natural empathy that makes Olson so good at what he does
“You get to go to their house, and you get to see where they’re coming from and what they gotta deal with,” Olson said. “Some people are dealing with a lot of stuff, you know? What can you do to help them out?”
That kindness, as well as his steady driving, allow Olson to provide his own version of patient care, and make him an indispensable member of the team
“His nature is to be welcoming,” said Chock. “He’s the same person no matter who you are. So there’s that consistency of character, and people really pick up on that. He really does get to know people, and that trust is built based on his character.”
Rain or shine, snow or sleet, feeling happy or feeling blue, Olson is there helping in his own special way to make his patient’s mental health appointments a little easier
Learn more
- Debunking common mental health myths
- Podcast: How to find a mental health provider who’s right for you
- Staff wellness therapist cares for the caregivers
Posted In
Behavioral Health, Bemidji, Community Impact, Nonclinical Support Services, People & Culture, Thought Leadership
