Kelly has always gone above and beyond to ensure safe quality care is delivered to each and every patient requiring her skills and knowledge. This has been an extremely difficult 2-year pandemic. During this time as nurses flee healthcare Kelly has stepped up and faced the storm with sincerity and determination. She has facilitated many of our Monoclonal administrations. The most recent data shows that we have delivered over 520 doses with only 4% requiring hospitalization. In summary, 500 people with Covid who had the chance of being hospitalized were not. Instead of fearing Covid, she applied her yellow and blue PPE donned her N95, and committed herself to provide the best possible care to this population.

Kelly works full time and has come in on many of her days off, not for bonus or recognition but rather to ensure these patients were cared for within their 10-day window. We provide Monocolonals 3 days a week. We are setting record-breaking numbers (last year maybe 1-3 a week this year averaging 25-50.) Kelly communicates professionally and collaboratively with our scheduler. Kelly looks ahead to see how many are in need of Monocolonals and makes arrangements for them to get their treatment being attentive to the 10-day window of opportunity.

I watch Kelly don and doff her PPE with ease and integrity. The staff and patients feel the warmth of her smile hidden behind her N95. She never makes her patients feel like a burden. She has the ability to make them feel like they are the only ones in her care at any given time.

Yesterday a businessman had called me to inquire about Monocolonals. Syracuse had nothing to offer for 2 weeks and he said his provider didn't seem to know much about ordering them. C worked diligently with Kelly to get this gentleman treated. It took all day to get the orders straight and consent faxed. Kelly was working on the Covid unit today and said that this is his day 10 and she would take him on the Covid unit (because the monoclonal infusions are not delivered today...Tuesday) to ensure he was treated and today would have been his last chance to get it. By the time this gentleman arrived his oxygen levels had dropped from 90% to 80%. He was too sick to get the Monoclonal.

Kelly went above and beyond to speak with him and his wife about hospital needs. She knew he was no longer a candidate for the Monoclonal due to how very ill he was. He chose to stay at SMC rather than drive back to Syracuse. Kelly's nursing supervisor facilitated his needed care averted the need to go to ED and Dr. M assessed this patient and admitted him so he was able to remain on that unit where he immediately received oxygen and IV fluids. Her leadership skills are exemplary.

I have also had the opportunity to speak with many of the patients who have also received the Monoclonal and specifically noted Kelly as their nurse and they have voiced their appreciation and have extended their gratefulness for such a tough job so very well done. She is a critical thinker and utilizes these skills as she assesses reassesses and ensures safe discharges are created with the patient as a partner. She educates them and answers their questions in a manner they understand. She alleviates their fears with her compassion and encouragement. Kelly is definitely a Super Hero. She makes this pandemic challenge look easy. She demonstrates the very Heart of Nursing.

Kelly, we are so very fortunate to have you on our team and we recognize and appreciate all you do. We are proud to call you our colleague and our friend.