Richard Smith: Making a Difference at Work

Earlier this summer, Richard Smith found himself in a rainstorm, helping a sobbing woman whose name he still doesn't know.

A data analyst for Duke Hospital Pharmacy, Smith was leaving work May 20 to take a database programming certification test. He was in a rush, knowing that heavy rain could lead to traffic congestion. As he left the PG3 parking lot near the North Pavilion building and drove down Pratt Street, he saw a woman lying in a heap on the sidewalk.

"I turned on my hazards and was out of my car before I even thought about what I was doing," Smith said. "I figured someone lying on the sidewalk with thunder and lightning and pouring rain had to be in a bad way."

Smith learned the woman was in distress because her mother was dying. With the help of another bystander, Smith escorted the woman into the North Pavilion Building and left her in the care of a security officer.

Having done what he could, Smith went back to his car and drove to the testing station on Miami Boulevard. "I managed to get there just in time to take the test, and I passed, even though I was a bit distracted," he said.

When Smith shared his story the next morning with pharmacy manager, Melissa King, she posted it on Duke's "Making a Difference" blog.

"I wanted to share this story because it is truly inspiring," King wrote. "I am grateful to hear this story of compassion and share it with others as an example of excellence and diversity."

Smith said he was surprised to receive the online compliment.

"I wasn't looking for attention," he said. "I still don't feel that I did anything too far out of the norm - except get really wet."