///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// water to greet the viewer. A few inches farther left, a corkboard displays photos and greeting cards from patients. Tomei, born in Omaha, Nebraska, and raised in Orlando, Florida, recalls receiving a Christmas card from a mother whose son she treated for a prenatal condition. “In her card, she said she considers me an extended part of her family,” she says. “That feels pretty awesome.” Tomei draws inspiration from her time as a student at the UF College of Medicine and says she learned about the importance of empathy from former senior associate dean for educational affairs Robert Watson, MD ’69. “He genuinely cared about our success,” Tomei says. “Seeing the impact that his interest had on me made me want to carry that forward with residents and students I work with.” Dori Hauser, the patient whose hair was braided, has been under Tomei’s care for more than six months to treat her Chiari malformation, which occurs when the cerebellar tonsils sit below the skull, causing a blockage of spinal fluid flow at the brain’s base. Tomei likens the condition to holding one’s thumb over the end of a running hose — the water spurts out around the thumb with great pressure rather than flowing normally. For Hauser, this meant debilitating headaches, numbness in her hands and loss of fine motor control. Hauser’s surgery in December restored normal spinal fluid flow around her brain. She says Tomei’s communication style and expertise gave her a sense of trust. “She is the first pediatric doctor who talked to me, not my parents. She made me feel safe,” she says. “You can sense her confidence when she enters the room. She’s not arrogant. She’s powerful.” There’s a saying among Tomei’s colleagues: “Eat, sleep and use the bathroom when you can.” With typical days lasting 10 to 12 hours, Tomei is forced “You can sense her confidence when she enters the room. She’s not arrogant. She’s powerful.” — Dori Hauser, Dr. Tomei's patient 01 Krystal Tomei, MD '06, poses in the operating room in Cleveland. PHOTO BY KEITH BERR 02 The architectural design of University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital reflects the sense of hope and joy shared by its patients and staff. PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS 01 20 | F LO R I DA P HYS I C IAN
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