A family member of a cancer patient who has since passed away said it best. "My dad was a humble person. When his condition deteriorated and he was hospitalized, he hated to ask for help to eat. When Carol Lea was dad's nurse he never had to ask for help to eat. She never asked if he needed help, she just got the tray ready, sat down and helped him. Something this simple meant a lot to him. He was at ease with Carol Lea as his nurse. She did many extras for him without being asked, and he appreciated that."

Carol Lea demonstrates compassion consistently when providing patient care. Carol Lea has attended two Iowa Healthcare Collaborative Patient Safety Conferences. She views these conferences as opportunities for growth and development, even though she is a seasoned nurse. From these conferences she has gained knowledge regarding the changing standards of care and the expectations this brings with it. She shares this knowledge with her fellow co-workers during the normal working day and at the monthly nursing service meetings. She promotes these practices consistently while providing patient care at the bedside. She is truly committed to providing quality patient care.

We have initiated a Community Provider Team as recommended by the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative. In addition to reducing readmissions, one of our goals was to develop a patient medication card which was to be given to all patients, in all health settings, including Public Health office, Physician offices, nursing homes and the hospital. Carol Lea volunteered to be one of the hospital representatives on our team. She has faithfully attended every meeting. Once the medication card was developed, she gave presentations on the card at her community church and Congregate Meal site. She consistently teaches every patient and their families about the card. She has been a driving force in promoting the medication card community wide.