May 2023
Lara
Bellingham
,
BSN, RN, RNC-NIC
Population Health
UCSF Medical Center
San Francisco
,
CA
United States
Nurses have shared that the leadership Lara has brought to the team exhibits the most courageous and compassionate acts of advocacy they had ever experienced with a manager.
Lara Bellingham exemplifies every excellent quality any healthcare team could hope for in a nurse leader. I had the pleasure of first learning from Lara when she was my preceptor. Newly moved from the east coast, I was nervous about making San Francisco my new home-- on top of the pressure to perform to the best of my nursing ability at a top-tier children’s hospital. Within moments of meeting Lara, my worries were put at ease. Lara immediately made me feel welcome, comfortable, and confident with her warm personality, supportive attitude, and natural ability to empower others. Lara was able to empathize and relate on a personal level – allowing me to feel I had already found my community within UCSF. Lara then became an Assistant Unit Director– a challenging position that Lara excelled in immediately. Consistently available and easily approachable, all members within the unit frequented her office for support (which was always happily given).
I remember when the COVID-19 Pandemic was beginning, Lara was the strong leader who had the difficult job of presenting concerns and precautions to be implemented within our huddles. Lara’s demeanor helped the unit remain confident and composed moving forward with the difficult challenges ahead.
Finally, I now observe Lara as a leader in her current role as the COVID-19 Clinical Manager. Starting with the COVID Response Team during the omicron surge, Lara demonstrated true determination and resilience in the face of adversity. Nurses have shared that the leadership Lara has brought to the team exhibits the most courageous and compassionate acts of advocacy they had ever experienced with a manager. Within this role, Lara daily works with leadership across every department within UCSF – helping units manage the challenges of getting employees back to work after a COVID-19 infection as soon as safely possible.
It has been an honor to see Lara thrive in any leadership role she has pursued within UCSF, serving with professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity, and excellence. Lara is truly my nursing inspiration, and I am immensely grateful to have her as a leader.
I remember when the COVID-19 Pandemic was beginning, Lara was the strong leader who had the difficult job of presenting concerns and precautions to be implemented within our huddles. Lara’s demeanor helped the unit remain confident and composed moving forward with the difficult challenges ahead.
Finally, I now observe Lara as a leader in her current role as the COVID-19 Clinical Manager. Starting with the COVID Response Team during the omicron surge, Lara demonstrated true determination and resilience in the face of adversity. Nurses have shared that the leadership Lara has brought to the team exhibits the most courageous and compassionate acts of advocacy they had ever experienced with a manager. Within this role, Lara daily works with leadership across every department within UCSF – helping units manage the challenges of getting employees back to work after a COVID-19 infection as soon as safely possible.
It has been an honor to see Lara thrive in any leadership role she has pursued within UCSF, serving with professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity, and excellence. Lara is truly my nursing inspiration, and I am immensely grateful to have her as a leader.