A Palo patient of Dr. James Renz, a surgeon with Physicians' Clinic of Iowa, believes in guardian angels.

"You happened to be one of those angels for my dad when he needed surgery for his cancer," she wrote. "My family will forever be grateful for the time you spent with us on a daily basis until his passing."

The patient, who recently honored Dr. Renz with a Guardian Angel award, is also grateful for the care Dr. Renz provided for her son.

"I know you are a wonderful surgeon," she concluded. "I am so glad you were there for my family."

Dr. Renz is pictured here on the right with St. Luke's President & CEO Ted Townsend.

The Guardian Angel program gives a patient or family an opportunity to express appreciation for a specific St. Luke's associate, department or volunteer who made a difference in their health care experience. The gift is then directed to either the associate's department or to the Guardian Angel Fund.

See this story at St. Luke's Health Care Foundation.