I would like to nominate Nurse Practitioner Rachel Hammers for this award because of her exemplary dedication and care for me as not just a patient but as a person. I had a bone marrow transplant in 2008. Rachel was just getting started at that time but she has gone out of her way to make sure that I have been taken care of since then. I recently moved to Arizona from Texas just 2 years ago and this year in January I came to Nashville for my check up. Often times VA systems at home struggle with how to properly take care of transplant patients. When I came for my check up there were several items of long-term maintenance that I need to have performed at home at my local VA. When I got home there were some miscommunications about what was ordered and what I needed to have done. I communicated these issues with Rachel and she took time out of her schedule to make sure that the proper information was faxed over and that my local VA understood exactly what I needed. I am so thankful that Rachel was willing to go the extra mile to make sure that I received the proper care I needed once I got back home. This makes me feel like a person and not just a patient and I am thankful every day for Rachel and the TN Valley VA.