For almost 20 years, Sarah has been an integral member of Stamford Hospital’s Nursing Department, originally joining as a traveler RN for a busy Emergency Room. Fast forward and Sarah now oversees a very busy Critical Care Service Line, including clinical oversight of the Intensive Care Unit, Intermediate Care Unit, Emergency Department, ICC Ambulatory site, and Respiratory and Pulmonary Services. Sarah is the Co-Chair of our Resuscitation Committee, has served as a Co-Chair for our Culture and Experience Steering Committee, implemented the GEMI Program in the Emergency Department, and is a participating member of the ICU Committee, which develops policies, creates action plans to ensure ongoing quality and supports our strategic plan for growth and program development.

It is extremely daunting to put into words Sarah’s resilience and leadership over the past several years. She was instrumental in Stamford Hospital’s response to the COVID pandemic, standing up 4 additional Intensive Care Units, ensuring adequate staffing and appropriate skill sets for those staff caring for this critically ill patient population. Sarah’s innovation throughout the pandemic is revered here at Stamford Hospital. She worked with the Respiratory Department to train additional resources to provide respiratory support for the institution so that the respiratory therapists could be focused on the care of the patients in the critical care areas. She collaborated with leadership from multiple departments whose volume dropped during the COVID pandemic to utilize those resources in a manner that would support the needs of those areas supporting COVID patients.

Sarah’s insight into the patient and family experience and her intrinsic value system recognized the enormous stress that patients and families were experiencing during this time, especially in the absence of hospital visitation. Sarah created the role of the Patient Care Liaison, clinicians whose role was to support the patient and family with ongoing communication through twice-daily updates and promoting virtual visitation using IPADS.

Additionally, Sarah was instrumental in the Incident Command Structure, meeting daily to provide updates, triage challenges related to PPE and volume, and provide innovative solutions to problems as they arose. At the start of the COVID pandemic and throughout, the Emergency Department and the ICC were inundated with concerned patients who presented with COVID symptoms requiring copious testing. With all her responsibilities, Sarah was front and center with the nursing and ancillary staff and physician leadership daily, providing support, answering questions, and being proactive in anticipating needs. Sarah’s achievements reflect a high level of professional expertise in her ability to collaborate with team members in the healthcare delivery setting.

On a daily basis, Sarah demonstrates emotional intelligence, integrity, dedication, and commitment to excellence, integrity, and mentorship. Her fortitude and innovation inspired the entire organization and influenced the positive outcomes experienced by our critically ill patients. Sarah is continually forward thinking, implementing the GEMI program in the Emergency Department with the goal of enhancing quality outcomes and the overall patient experience for the geriatric population. Additionally, Sarah oversees the Pediatric ED as part of Stamford Hospital’s Emergency Department, advocating for the appropriate resources to care for the most fragile patients. As operations return to a state of normalcy, Sarah continues to ensure clinical excellence and outstanding patient experience outcomes. Her areas of responsibility shined during our most recent regulatory survey. Sarah continually inspires others to work together in pursuit of shared goals.