Amy Casares is an extraordinary CN. She has a deep level of compassion for her patients and the staff she leads. She has a gift of protecting with love and kindness. She is always positively bubbly. Her attitude is always of gratitude.

One morning, she was passing through the entrance to the hospital when she noticed a recurring oncology patient conversing with staff at the front desk. She quickly went to her and gave her a big hug. Amy inquired as to why the patient was wandering around. As CN, Amy knew that the patient was not scheduled to come into the unit for chemotherapy that day. A little background about the patient that Amy already knew from taking care of her in the past was that the patient was homeless, had no family, suffered from mental issues, and appeared to be hungry and distraught.

The patient’s eyes lit up when she recognized Amy and began to tell her about her dilemma. She had spoken to the front desk but was not able to get her message across to them successfully. The patient said she had been informed that she had no appointment and therefore had to leave the building. Amy noticed she carried a one-dollar bill and was beginning to walk to the cafeteria. Amy asked the patient if she was going to get breakfast. The patient stated she was going to get as much breakfast as a dollar would be. Without hesitation, Amy spoke up cheerfully and told the patient, “Come with me, I will cover your breakfast, get anything you like.”

While the patient was picking out her items, Amy called the patient’s doctor to see if she had an appointment at JACC and she did. The patient just happened to be in the wrong facility. She had JACC send a shuttle to transport the patient to the correct facility. She took time to explain to the patient where the patient needed to be and helped her pack her breakfast to take with her. She told the patient, “When you get over to JACC, you check in and you sit down in the lobby and eat your breakfast until they call you.” The patient was so appreciative and happy. The patient told Amy that she and the East 7 staff were like family to her because they were the only ones who showed genuine love and concern for her well-being. I desired to highlight this because of how people perceive the homeless. Amy treated her with respect, dignity, and especially love. This is our values in action.

For this reason, I am proud to be part of the oncology team. May we all remember what Amy’s leadership has done when we come across someone who is homeless or looks like they need help. May we always refuse to judge books by their covers and choose to love first instead. These human beings are the very ones we are here to serve. Thank you, Amy you are a great leader!