Just WOW! This statement is for a nurse, mentor, co-worker, leader, and, I am happy to say, friend. Tammy Michael has dedicated her nursing career at the Martinsburg VA for the last forty years. Again, I say WOW! I first met Tammy on 5A where she was a staff nurse and a great staff nurse. One of the examples I can give of her going above and beyond is doing the Veterans' laundry. She washed, dried, folded, and put their clothes away instead of sending them to the laundry. She did this because she loves her Veterans wholeheartedly and wants them to have the best she can provide. Tammy was then selected as the Assistant Nurse Manager on 5A/5B. An example I can give for Tammy as being a great leader is going to the floor and stocking gloves so the staff on the floor have more time to dedicate to the Veterans' care. Tammy doesn't have to do this. She does it because that is who she is. She looks out for others and does what she can to make their days a little easier. I had the great opportunity to become one of the ANMs alongside this amazing lady. The last example I will give, of many I could choose from, is her getting Chick-fil-A sandwiches, among many other things, and bringing them to work on her day off and personally passing them out to her staff on nurses week. She is one of the most selfless and kind-hearted people I have ever known. This lady has a special place in heaven. Tammy will drop whatever she is doing to go help the residents or staff on the floor with a smile on her face. Again, I would like to nominate this phenomenal assistant nurse manger, dedicated staff nurse, fabulous patient advocate, the MOM to everyone, amazing animal lover, fearless leader of recyclables, the "maker of the Christmas store", snack lady, yard sale addict, etc. I could go on and on. This beautiful lady is going to retire in February, and it will be a great loss for the VA staff and Veterans, but it will be amazing for her family and grandchildren. She is teaching her grands to be great leaders as well. She volunteers in our community at many places, including the animal shelter. As you can see just from this little glimpse of this lady, she has made a huge impact on how to be a compassionate, exceptional leader to Veterans, Nurses, and all of the above.

***

Where should I even begin? Tammy Michael has always shown compassion, kindness, and dedication not only to the veterans here at the VAMC but also to each staff member she encounters. There is not one or two particular stories or situations where she has positively affected someone's life because she does that every day. Tammy has been a nurse since 1983. She was a 4A RN for 32 years until she came upstairs to the 5A/B team in 2016. And we are truly thankful she did! Tammy is truly the definition of the VAMC ICARE values. She continuously displays integrity in her day-to-day duties, exemplifies compassion with active listening, always displays a nonjudgmental attitude to everyone she provides care for, advocates for the veterans as well as her fellow nursing staff, respects others' differences, and ALWAYS exhibits excellence at her job. When our units are confronted with struggles and tribulations, she remains a go-to person, always offering her experience, guidance, and expertise when needed. She always displays professionalism when interacting with others. Tammy is not only an amazing nurse but she is an absolutely phenomenal person. Tammy truly promotes a positive image not only here at the VAMC but also throughout the community. She is extremely active in her church, the humane society, and her grandchildren's school, and she is the one-woman recycle queen. She does her part to keep our earth clean. Tammy truly has blessed so many people's lives by just being in it. I know she has mine. Tammy deserves this award and many more. She is someone I strive to be like, and I hope one day I can be half the person and nurse she is.

***

Since I started at the VA, Tammy has always been someone who I can go to for anything. She has demonstrated how dedicated, compassionate, and caring she is not only to our veterans but also to our staff. She has been a dedicated nurse at the VA for 40 years and remains empathetic and loyal to our veterans. She has worked through all of the challenging times during COVID, accommodating our staffing needs, and helped wherever she could without any hesitation. She is always willing to jump in and help with anything on our unit. She goes out of her way to find new activities for our veterans, such as coordinating with another staff member to get pumpkins for our veterans to paint/carve. Tammy is loyal, compassionate, empathetic, trustful, and caring.