Heather Holton joined our small team in Pediatric Rheumatology in November 2017; she previously worked in the Buffalo Public Schools. She had a lot of experience working with children, but Pediatric Rheumatology deals with rare diseases and most of the children have chronic disease and are complicated. Heather jumped in with both feet and hasn't stopped since.
It was a steep learning curve and she embraced the field and the patients, learned quickly, and now is an asset to our department and is irreplaceable. Heather spends many of her days on the phone with insurance companies, sometimes for hours on end, and never complains. She takes the time to talk with every patient that calls, and cares about each and every one of them.
Heather follows through with all tasks, always follows up on pending tasks, responds to feedback, is always trying to improve the process, and takes initiative to improve the safety and quality of care we give our patients. Again, she does all of this with a smile on her face, and never a complaint.
Heather really is an extraordinary human being, with energy that seems never ending. She has a kind and caring heart and would never speak ill of anyone. Not a week goes by without one of our patients telling us how wonderful Heather is. She is what every nurse should strive to emulate. I cannot possibly say enough kind words about her.
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Thank you, Heather, for exemplifying Kaleida Health's core values and demonstrating what it means to lead with care!