Exceptionally Good Samaritans: Lance Nguyen

Volunteer opportunity turns into career for Good Samaritan employee

Lance Nguyen first came to Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center out of necessity. He was a high school junior who needed to fulfill volunteer hours for school. His mother, Minh Nguyen, suggested he check into opportunities at the hospital, which is where she works. 

That was more than 20 years ago. Lance recently spoke about his journey at Legacy Good Samaritan, why he has stayed and what the 150th anniversary means to him. 

Tell us about your job here and how that has changed.

When I started as a volunteer, I was the person at the front desk who helped direct people to the department for an appointment or to a family’s room. In college, I worked weekends and holidays in EVS before I became a certified nurse assistant. I really enjoyed that frontline work, but eventually wanted to do something different so I transitioned to being an office assistant. Today, I’m an administrative assistant.

What makes Good Sam, Good Sam to you?

The people. They have kept me here. I’ve gotten to know a lot of people and built up relationships. They become integrated into being part of your life. It would be too hard leaving that behind. 

What does this anniversary mean to you?

It’s an opportunity to reflect on the work done previously and to honor the people who have paved the way for us to be where we’re at today. It’s also a great opportunity to look back at some of our big milestones. The exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society had a long list of the firsts and that was impressive. It’s also a chance for us to look at where we’re at and where we want to be in another 25, 50 years and how to get there. 

What are some of your fondest memories of your time at Good Sam?

One of my favorite memories actually came when we were deep into the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone was wearing masks and face shields and that made it difficult to communicate at times. 

For whatever reason, I was having a conversation with a coworker when I mentioned that hippos were very dangerous and caused more human deaths than sharks. That person became very upset with me and began challenging that fact. Another coworker came walking by and the upset person told them about the conversation we were having. That person also got upset. I couldn’t figure out why they were being so defensive until one of them asked me why I disliked pit bulls so much. I thought what do pit bulls have to do with anything, until I realized they misheard me. I told them I was talking about hippos as in a hippopotamus. There was a pause and then we all started laughing. That became our inside joke whenever we’d run into each other. 

What’s changed that really stands out to you and what’s stayed the same.

The physical campus has undergone a lot of changes. We’ve moved units around, remodeled areas. The emergency department, for example, looks different from when I started. People also come and go, but what has remained the same is largely the culture, that we are people first. We treat others the way we want to be treated and strive to do the right thing.