Van Fagert is soft spoken, mild mannered, focused, meticulous, and forward thinking. On numerous occasions Van can be seen going above and beyond for her patients and their families.
This was particularly evident when Van was caring for a very ill young woman who was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor and required care in the NSICU. This patient was 30 weeks pregnant at the time. In the midst of having neurosurgical procedures, the patient was scheduled to deliver her baby by c-section prior to having a more extensive neurosurgical procedure. This was an emotion-filled time for the patient, her spouse, family and ICU staff. The c-section was uncomplicated and a brand new baby girl was admitted to the NICU and was stable and doing well.
Van understood the value of bringing mom and baby together so she spearheaded the effort to bring the mom from the NSICU to her baby in the NICU for a visit. This was no small task since the patient had a cranial drain, on medicated drips and continuous cardiac monitoring. With the assistance of nursing leadership, the physician team and the NICU staff, Van was able to bring her patient to the NICU to visit her brand new daughter for two consecutive days. Van not only coordinated the effort but remained in the NICU for an extended time so mom could spend quality time with her baby. The patient's spouse and family were tremendously grateful to Van to be able to do this for them. These moments were truly precious as they were the last lucid moments for Van's patient.
Van was able to foster an experience that yielded long-lasting memories for this young family; memories that will last a lifetime for them.