Laura defines extraordinary compassionate care every day. She is the first one to greet the inpatients and outpatients and makes sure they are in the right department. Last week, she found a gentleman in the waiting room waiting for a stress test. She found that he had the wrong type of stress test ordered and immediately spoke to the appropriate departments to get the right test ordered so he wouldn’t have to leave and reschedule. In conversation with him, she learned that he had a flat tire on his way here and was parked in the parking structure. She asked him some questions as she walked him to the appropriate department to start the test. Then she called the dealership and told them where he was parked. They came out and Laura went out to meet them with the patient's keys and stayed there until the tire was fixed. When she returned to the stress lab, the patient was there for the next part of his test and she explained that his car was all taken care of. The patient cried, he was so happy and overjoyed that his tire was fixed and that he didn’t have to leave and come back another day for the appropriate stress test.

Our patients come to the stress lab very anxious, scared, and apprehensive about their tests. Laura is always fully engaged with the patients, their families, and support people. She always puts them at ease by explaining everything to them and what to expect while making personal connections with them. Every day I hear her patients tell her how warm and hospitable she is and how she makes them feel so comfortable and they leave saying how they wasted time worrying about the test. She always has the patients leaving with a big smile. Laura is a true role model and leader whom I learn daily from. She checks in on a daily basis with all the departments (ekg, echo, cardiac rehab, nuclear medicine) to make sure everything is running smoothly. She goes out of her way to start IVs for echo patients, so they don’t have to wait as long for the IV team. This makes the patients very happy. We all learn so much from her as she knows exactly what to do in any given situation in the stress lab.

One day I had a patient not doing well during a stress test. As she always has an ear open to every test running even if it's not hers. She immediately came to assist and got the appropriate people notified and stabilized the patient while explaining to the patient’s daughter what was happening and providing her moral support. The patient’s daughter kept thanking her for making her feel so comfortable and at ease during the stressful time. The whole department admires her, and she is a true hero to all the staff, patients, and families.