What’s it like to be John Hopkins at Johns Hopkins?
When I started working here, I was like the fat lady in the circus. People would come by and say, “I want to see the guy called John Hopkins.” Any misdirected phone calls? People call and ask for John Hopkins, meaning the institution, and get transferred to me. They need medical care, or medical equipment—things I know absolutely nothing about. Or, there’s an overdue bill and the caller—some guy from a collection agency in, say, Dubuque—expects me to pay. I try to explain that Johns Hopkins is a huge institution. Has your name ever opened doors? Definitely. I used to conduct market surveys for dialysis equipment. I’d call clinics and hospitals and say I was John Hopkins, and the information would just pour out. People would tell me everything, because the name John(s) Hopkins has so much clout. What about all those people who omit the “s” in “Johns” and call the place “John Hopkins?” It really registers. How can they work here and mispronounce the name? People don’t call the Mayo Clini
