Dale Gutierrez is the kind of guy who made everyone feel welcome. Like they belong.

During the 47 years he worked in Kaiser Permanente’s Oakland Medical Center emergency room registering patients and collecting co-pays, he always made new employees feel like they were part of the team.

He helped organize outings to Oakland A’s games and bartended every holiday party. He was always the first to get there and the last to leave.

“Everybody in that ER loves and adores him because he made it a point to sit down and connect with people,” said Kirneet Atwal, RN, who worked with Gutierrez about 3 years before becoming assistant Emergency Department manager at the Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center. “Even at lunch, Dale would sit there with his newspaper. It didn’t matter how old you were or how long you were there, he would talk to you and say something funny.”

When it was his time to be cared for, after an emergency room visit of his own last spring followed by cardiac bypass surgery, his colleagues didn’t miss a beat in helping the 68-year-old recover.

“I started at Kaiser in 1977 when I was 21,” said Gutierrez, who retired in the fall. “Working in the ER that long you learn a lot about medical care, about people. My care was the best possible thing that could have happened when I had a heart attack.”

Love and kindness of colleagues

But it was the love and kindness of his colleagues after the surgery that helped him heal and move forward.

Employees in the Oakland Emergency Department raised money to help Gutierrez with living expenses. He lives by himself, so they took turns bringing him fresh food, picking up his medications, and taking walks with him in the critical exercise time after his surgery.

“The nurses in the ER called me, they texted me, they said ‘What do you need?’” said Gutierrez, who lives about a quarter mile from the hospital. “They went to the store for me. They came to visit. This was out of the kindness of their hearts, and it went on for about 6 weeks. They didn’t charge me anything for the groceries. I get very emotional when I talk about it.”

After he decided to retire in November, one nurse and her daughter came over and helped him fill out forms to receive medical disability payments.

It’s the kind of thing any decent human being should do for another, said Atwal.

“Dale is a very special person,” she said. “When I first started on the night shift from 3 to 11:45 p.m., there was a group who would walk to the parking garage together for safety. Dale always made sure I wasn’t walking alone. He seamlessly integrated me into this crew.”

Cardiologist Dorinna Mendoza, MD, treated Gutierrez in the emergency room when he presented with symptoms of a heart attack.

“I could sense the deep concern for Mr. Gutierrez from everyone in the emergency room,” she said. “It was clear that he was more than just a colleague — he was truly a beloved member of our emergency department family. What moved me most was witnessing Mr. Gutierrez’s unwavering dedication to the Kaiser Oakland ER, and in turn, how the department rallied around him when he needed them most.”

After he recovered, a friend and former Kaiser Permanente emergency physician encouraged him to retire. He initially decided against the advice.

“Then I go back to work and after about 30 minutes into my shift, I’m like, ‘What am I doing here?”

Now retired, he has been given a second chance to adopt a healthier lifestyle, said Dr. Mendoza, and more time for self-care. He’s embraced regular walks, thanks to the support of his colleagues and he has made better food choices, with the guidance of Kaiser Permanente’s nutritional services.

“My colleagues and everyone at Kaiser wanted to help me, and they did,” said Gutierrez. “I am very fortunate for that.”