Natalie Makara
January 2021
Natalie
Makara
,
RN
Beacon Center for Infectious Disease
Boulder Community Health
In these trying times and with my recent medical issues, it's reassuring that I get on the phone and speak to someone who seems compassionate about the work they do and shows compassion when helping others.
The DAISY Award is given to a nurse for the extraordinary and compassionate care provided by a deserving BCH nurse. Natalie encompasses these qualifications; indeed Natalie embodies extraordinary and compassionate. To know this, you simply need to see a few of the many letters our office manager and providers receive regarding Natalie and speak to the Beacon providers.
Nurses strive to make a patient and their family's lives a little easier whenever possible. In June 2020, a Beacon provider received a letter from K and H explaining how Natalie was "a real asset in your office." The letter goes on to say how Natalie has "always been available to answer questions/concerns" and to thank her for "making our lives a little easier."
Other hallmarks of nursing include kindness, compassion, and helping others. An email from another patient in November 2020 thanked Natalie for her kindness. "In these trying times and with my recent medical issues, it's reassuring that I get on the phone and speak to someone who seems compassionate about the work they do and shows compassion when helping others...So I truly thank you and appreciate the work you do, but more so how helpful you have been." The ability to mesh kindness, caring and professionalism is often difficult and can be demonstrated by an exceptional nurse.
A third letter received in February 2019 is an example of how Natalie helped a patient who was ill and unsure how to proceed. The patient noted she was "fortunate to talk with Natalie, again she listened, she was kind, caring and very professional, she told me she would get back to me as soon as she spoke with the doctor. I received a call within the hour, her instructions were clear and concise and she showed a genuine concern for my health."
The providers at the Beacon Center agree. In addition to direct patient care, Natalie is an incredible asset to the clinic providers. She has a "Spidey Sense." Her excellent clinical judgment allows her to identify the truly sick patient and triage them to the appropriate level of care. She can also predict what a provider may need before it is even requested. Her follow-through is second to none and nothing gets missed when Natalie is on the case!
Finally, Natalie volunteers to go above and beyond without being asked. Here are two specific examples, although many more exist. First, in the early days of COVID testing at BCH, Natalie would call patients with results from her home on the weekend so patients would not have to wait until Monday for results; she knows how stressful the anticipation of a sensitive result can be.
Another and absolutely incredible example of going above and beyond: Natalie was notified that J's insurance was not going to cover his outpatient IV infusions totaling over $45,000. The patient had contacted billing but was told there was nothing that could be done. Natalie pursued this and worked with his insurance until they approved the outpatient infusions.
Kindness, caring, compassion, professionalism, helping others; are the words we hear not only from patients who come in to contact with Natalie but that we witness every day in our shared space at the Beacon Center for Infectious Diseases. We are indeed a lucky group to have Natalie as part of our team, she is a true DAISY Nurse.
Nurses strive to make a patient and their family's lives a little easier whenever possible. In June 2020, a Beacon provider received a letter from K and H explaining how Natalie was "a real asset in your office." The letter goes on to say how Natalie has "always been available to answer questions/concerns" and to thank her for "making our lives a little easier."
Other hallmarks of nursing include kindness, compassion, and helping others. An email from another patient in November 2020 thanked Natalie for her kindness. "In these trying times and with my recent medical issues, it's reassuring that I get on the phone and speak to someone who seems compassionate about the work they do and shows compassion when helping others...So I truly thank you and appreciate the work you do, but more so how helpful you have been." The ability to mesh kindness, caring and professionalism is often difficult and can be demonstrated by an exceptional nurse.
A third letter received in February 2019 is an example of how Natalie helped a patient who was ill and unsure how to proceed. The patient noted she was "fortunate to talk with Natalie, again she listened, she was kind, caring and very professional, she told me she would get back to me as soon as she spoke with the doctor. I received a call within the hour, her instructions were clear and concise and she showed a genuine concern for my health."
The providers at the Beacon Center agree. In addition to direct patient care, Natalie is an incredible asset to the clinic providers. She has a "Spidey Sense." Her excellent clinical judgment allows her to identify the truly sick patient and triage them to the appropriate level of care. She can also predict what a provider may need before it is even requested. Her follow-through is second to none and nothing gets missed when Natalie is on the case!
Finally, Natalie volunteers to go above and beyond without being asked. Here are two specific examples, although many more exist. First, in the early days of COVID testing at BCH, Natalie would call patients with results from her home on the weekend so patients would not have to wait until Monday for results; she knows how stressful the anticipation of a sensitive result can be.
Another and absolutely incredible example of going above and beyond: Natalie was notified that J's insurance was not going to cover his outpatient IV infusions totaling over $45,000. The patient had contacted billing but was told there was nothing that could be done. Natalie pursued this and worked with his insurance until they approved the outpatient infusions.
Kindness, caring, compassion, professionalism, helping others; are the words we hear not only from patients who come in to contact with Natalie but that we witness every day in our shared space at the Beacon Center for Infectious Diseases. We are indeed a lucky group to have Natalie as part of our team, she is a true DAISY Nurse.