A Beacon of Light for Those in Need

After 23 years, Baxter service specialist Paul Collins is still adamant about one thing: it’s the patients that make his job as meaningful as it is. Directly delivering the renal products and therapies needed for the patients to perform their dialysis therapy at home, Paul plays a critical role in carrying out Baxter’s mission of saving and sustaining lives.

“I came from a bad background but was adopted early on, and I knew that I always wanted to do something that would allow me to give back the way my family did when they took me in,” Paul said. “When I go to these patients’ homes, recognizing that they have a critical illness, regardless of the kind of day I’m having, I work to provide the best service possible so I can be a bright spot for them.”

Developing close relationships through the regular deliveries, Paul observes that many of the patients he serves become like family, extending beyond just the delivery time to the home. Paul notes he continues to get dinner with a patient in Tulsa each time he’s in town. Though they didn’t have much in common, coming from very different backgrounds, the delivery provided a foundation for a close bond with patients and their families that Paul cherishes, communicating with them regularly.

“Though I spend a lot of time in my truck traveling from place to place, it’s the people that really make this job exceptional,” Paul said. “I’m so honored that sometimes a patient’s family has dinner waiting on the table when they know I’m coming in for a delivery so we can make the most of our time together.”

As part of his role, Paul serves patients across West Texas, including Midland, Odessa and San Angela. His relationships are derived across more than 120 individuals who rely on him to provide life sustaining medical devices.

“It’s immediately apparent when you start talking with Paul that he’s invested in our patients, understanding how to triangulate the relationship between Baxter and the patients we serve and how to do that in a way that brings a lot of value to both of them,” Steven Williams, regional operations manager at Baxter, said. “He exemplifies the highest qualities of what we do and is the best of what we are.”

Paul’s commitment to helping people in need is evident in not just his day-to-day role of delivering renal products to patients, but his mission work in Kenya and Rwanda as well. Starting out in an orphanage, Paul knew he wanted to give back to those of similar backgrounds. His mission trips include interacting with the children of local orphanages, many of whom are ill or in extreme poverty, and building churches for the community. Even when he brings a simple soccer ball, Paul remarks, the children act as if they’ve won the lottery.

Paul notes there are a good number of patients he still stays in contact with even if he no longer delivers product to them, as well as their families.