For starters the entire experience at West Penn was remarkable and this is 100% due to the staff. Though multiple nurses during our stay easily deserve recognition, Lauren sticks out due to her role as the facilitator of care for my wife during the most crucial period—labor and delivery. From the moment my wife was admitted Lauren was attentive to every need and concern we had. Being that this is our first child there were plenty of processes unfamiliar to us and Lauren did a wonderful job of laying it all out in palpable terms. It’s worth pointing out that upon arrival my wife was already at 5cm dilation. Things moved pretty swiftly from that point. Following admission, Lauren quickly got to work not only with the medical necessities but also tended to issues of comfort and hospitality. This included retrieving pillows multiple rounds of ice water, linens, storage for our belongings, and more. My wife awoke at 4:30 am less than ten hours after arrival and came to the realization that this baby was coming…like now. Lauren magically appeared without us even calling and calmly began rallying the troops. That brings me to the wildly effective orchestration of all events during this time period. I assume Lauren didn’t piece together who was doing what but anytime a new group came in (ie. the anesthesiology team doing the epidural or the delivery team) she quickly assumed the role of both quarterback and cheerleader. By this I mean she was always present and had a great grasp on the nuances of each procedure and component but also stood by to provide us with reassurance and confidence throughout. She appeared genuinely excited about us and our baby even though she’s probably seen all of this, dozens of times before. At any rate, I could go on and on but I think you get it. Her medical and procedural knowledge coupled with her clear passion for helping people make her an obvious candidate for recognition.