Sabrina has been a nurse with TEC since 2012 and in that time has shown all the values of a DAISY Nurse. Currently, Sabrina works as a Nurse Care Manager with the Personalized Care Team. She works diligently to be the best advocate for her patient and often goes above and beyond. Recently, she brought in clothes for a patient who could not afford to purchase clothing. 

Sabrina currently manages around 70 patients and can tell you their story, and not just the medical part of the patient. Sabrina sees the whole picture, and by doing so can meet the patient/family where they are at and find the best course of treatment and outcome for a patient. She once found out that a patient was delaying care because he didn’t have anyone to care for his three cats, who are his life. Sabrina worked with social work and was able to find a caregiver for the cats so the patient could get the treatment he needed. She has another bed-bound patient who has an indwelling Foley catheter. This patient was having issues with catheter replacement and Sabrina worked for several weeks to find a solution. She then shared the information she found with the team, which others have used. Sabrina also worked with the patient, family, and specialists to see if a trial without the Foley was possible. It was and the patient has been doing well. 

Sabrina is our guiding force on the team. In my 19 years of nursing, I’m not sure I’ve met a nurse more dedicated to her patients. When someone mentions a “difficult interaction” with a patient of hers Sabrina will advocate for that patient and remind the staff that while the patient may be “difficult,” she, the patient, has a history of traumatic brain injuries which causes her to have outbursts. 

The patient always takes precedence with Sabrina. She is the first nurse to volunteer to go on a home visit, even if she is swamped with other things to do. And not only is she an advocate for the patients, but for the PCT Team as well. She will often reach out to team members to ask if they need anything, if they need to debrief regarding a difficult situation, and will help troubleshoot when someone is stuck on what to do next. 

In her off-time Sabrina is often seeking out material to share with patients. For example, we had a recent patient pass from heart disease. This was a younger patient who wanted help on how to come to terms with her mortality. Sabrina went to the library and researched material to share with the patient (sadly, found the information lacking, so I’m sure Sabrina will write the first book on this topic). She will also share articles she found helpful with the team. Sabrina will also spend significant time coordinating care with the PCT Providers and outside specialists. After months of trying to coordinate the meeting, she finally got UW GI to agree to call the PCT Provider to discuss a patient with an obscure GI issue. She is like a dog with a bone in the best sense. 

Sabrina embodies grace, kindness, compassion, empathy, teamwork, diligence, flexibility, and advocacy in all she does. Oftentimes, it seems Care Managers are overlooked, and I think it’s time the spotlight shines on one of the finest. Please consider Sabrina and showcase all the work she does for the patients, the PCT team, and The Everett Clinic. Thank you.