Marjorie Zismann
TMC Volunteer

“You have diabetes.  Buy a book.”

That’s what Marjorie Zismann’s doctor told her when he diagnosed her with type 2 diabetes in her early 60’s.  Since then, attempts to understand her disease have left her completely frustrated. Every day, she weighs herself, pricks her finger, squeezes out a drop of blood to check her blood sugar and takes her medication. Mealtimes consist of sorting out “yes” foods from “no” foods, which leaves her feeling restricted with little control over her disease.

Now 78 years old and retired, Zismann volunteers at Tucson Medical Center. She was a patient here about a year ago, and was invited to be a patient advocate during what’s called a “kaizen.”  It’s a rapid-improvement workshop made up of about a dozen leaders from different departments who set out to tackle a very specific issue. The meeting is a crucial process of TMC’s…