The long hall in the photo represents the start of one long week. Last Sunday, my oldest daughter, Julia, spent the night in the hospital. Everything is perfectly fine! Turns out she was dehydrated, had a touch of the flu and, mostly, exhausted (note to self: all-night fundraisers in the high school gym sound like fun, but not a good idea for a teenage girl who desperately needs her sleep). As any parent would be – I was a wreck, but for the most part I knew our hospital experience was for precautionary purposes. Although both Julia and I wanted nothing more than to go home, I was impressed with the medical team’s determination to ensure absolutely everything checked out OK. My mindset at the children’s hospital was the same as with airport security – I’d rather deal with the inconvenience than ever feel that something may have slipped by unnoticed. I’m a big fan of “better safe than sorry.”

We were at the Tufts Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center overlooking Boston’s Chinatown. The buzz just outside the hospital doors was electric.

Inside, the patient care Julia received was exceptional. I was most impressed with the kind and considerate bedside manner of every single nurse, doctor, aide and student that we encountered. Never did someone snap or act brusquely. I could tell that Julia felt comfortable and unafraid – as a parent; that made me feel good.

As anyone knows who has spent time in a hospital, there is a lot of time waiting for things to happen. In that time, I couldn’t help but observe the youth and energy of this teaching hospital. There were so many young, attractive people in scrubs and lab coats that it felt like we were on the set of “Grey’s Anatomy” – without all the drama and absurdity. When I popped down to Au Bon Pain, at all hours of the day or night, I was surprised to see it was active and busy no matter what the time. And again, it seemed I was always surrounded by young, good looking people. While, of course, healthcare should have been top of mind, I admit I was slightly distracted and mesmerized by the entire scene.

When we left Tufts Floating Hospital, I was glad we had taken advantage of the top-notch Boston medical system. How fortunate we are that our local hospitals are among the best in the world. The 45 minute ride from home was worth the peace of mind knowing that such a reputable medical institute had given us the all clear. And while Julia spent most of her time there sleeping, I was not surprised a few days later when she said, “After seeing everything that goes on in a hospital like that – I think I want to be a doctor.”

Thank you Tufts Floating 7. You did a great job – in more ways than one.