Kathy Cacioppo

Kathy has been employed at AAHS since 3/1/99. She presently is a staff nurse working in Phase II Recovery, 2nd floor Hospital Pavilion. I have had the pleasure of knowing Kathy over the past 4 years. She is a knowledgeable nurse with great technical skill, able to care for the most compromised patient. Her years of experience allow her to organize her patient care and to keep pace with the busy surgical schedule. She is well respected by the physician and nursing staff for her surgical expertise.

Over the years, Kathy has demonstrated her commitment to the hospital by participating in unit initiatives such as the scheduling committee and as a Smart Alec during the recent computer transition. She helped to improve the documentation flow sheets and assisted many physicians as they developed printable discharge instructions. Looking to improve intradepartmental relationships, Kathy joined a team to work with the PACU to look for ways to improve handoffs and communication. As a result of this work, the units report better working relationships and improved overall throughput. She was the lead in developing a “point nurse” position to facilitate transfers.

Kathy is a role model to us all, maintaining a positive attitude and willingness to be flexible during staffing shortages. This year the unit enjoyed the highest patient satisfaction scores ever, Kathy can take credit for her own contribution to this great success.

Excerpt from nomination: 
I have been in and out of the operating room, and could nominate several nurses. The overall care by each have been remarkable and sometimes above and beyond, such is the case with Kathy. I am a two-time cancer survivor, with my most recent occurrence happening in 2010. Oddly, I also had a splenic aneurysm that needed repair that year and that is when I first met Kathy. What was supposed to have been an outpatient procedure turned into an overnight, and Kathy stayed with me, even after she was off the clock. I was so very sick and at one time, I even threw up on her. She cared for me on a patient level and took an extra interest in me as a person.

I was back in the operating room a total of five times that year, and she always greeted me with a smile and encouragement, even if though I was not always her patient. I had my final reconstructive surgery November 18 and once again Kathy was there. After hearing that I was in the short stay surgery unit, she greeted me with a smile and words of encouragement (I was very sick from anesthesia). I commend and appreciate all of the nurses in the surgical unit and very blessed to have a hospital nearby that not only helped me bring my two children into the world, but also helped me beat breast cancer, not once but twice. Thank you so very much Kathy, you and the doctors and nurses at AAMC are a Godsend in my life.