When some people think about getting blood drawn, they are filled with dread by thoughts of needles, pain and seeing their own blood. However, for patients at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Portage, getting blood drawn is a positive, uplifting experience because they have the chance to interact with lab phlebotomist Bonnie Naperala.
Naperala’s friendliness and positive attitude have made her patients feel right at home throughout her 26 year career at St. Mary’s. She goes out of her way to treat people with respect.
“Nobody likes to get a blood test,” Naperala said. “I always like to make it a good experience rather that a bad experience. I try very hard not to hurt anybody. As I’m drawing blood we’re talking and sometimes they don’t even realize, and it’s over. I just try to be respectful and courteous and hope that it’s a bright spot in their day.”
Naperala worked for 10 years at a brokerage firm in Chicago before spending seven years as a WiseWay cashier. After returning to school at Ivy Tech to earn her medical assistant certificate, Naperala was hired by St. Mary’s Medical Center. Fast-forward 26 years to the present and she is proud to say that she still holds her post at St. Mary’s.
“I’m very grateful to work at St. Mary’s,” she said. “I feel that it is a very fine hospital. The lab is second to none. We have very strict rules and very good people that work there.”
The Portage branch, which is located on Willowcreek Road, is the first St. Mary’s in Porter County. A new center in Valparaiso is in the process of being built. According to Naperala, the very accessible parking and overall convenience of utilizing the medical center are the main advantages for patients.
From her first day on the job to her 26th year, Naperala’s goal of establishing relationships with each of her patients has never wavered.
“There are a lot of sick people that come in and you can make them have a good experience,” she said. “I have a little conversation and actually form friendships. I walk in the patients’ shoes, or anybody’s shoes, because everybody has a lot on them. God loves all of us and you just treat people like they’re the face of the Lord. That’s how I feel.”
Naperala believes in always “doing what you should do” and said that her job is the perfect fit for her because of the opportunity to work with patients.
Outside of work hours, Naperala is sometimes on call for occupational health. She is also very active in her church, St. Francis Xavier of Lake Station. She has one daughter, who lives in Detroit.
Bonnie Naperala is a perfect fit for PortageLife.com because of her positive nature and her belief in seeing the good in others.
“I think that [having a good news website] is unbelievably wonderful,” she said. “Nobody does that. The newspapers don’t do that. The television doesn’t do that. I think there is a huge need. People want to see the good things that happen. I’ve stopped watching the news because it’s just awful.
“I think if you just have things that are positive, that just has to give somebody a good feeling to know that there are good things. There are all kinds of good people. All these people that come in here are good people. More power to you; I think that’s great.”