Windy is an amazing manager. She does not micromanage; she allows the staff to manage the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities of their department, and involves her when needed (or as appropriate). She encourages us to take initiative to find a way to do the things that need to be done. This allows us to find the way that works best for the department and the staff. She has advanced our teamwork. The team works better and feels more supportive of each other. The team is more inclusive and caring, and better integrated between the different sections of the department. Windy said, "If you have a place where you are happy and excelling, I will support you in that position." She said this to a nurse whose next step in her career would be to go into management, and the nurse did not want to.    

I feel completely comfortable going to Windy with any complaints, problems, or issues. I also share my celebrations with her, and she is sometimes as excited as I am, regardless of whether or not the accomplishment has to do with work. Windy delights when the staff gets raises or has accomplishments recognized. She is unquestioningly supportive of her staff with her open-door policy.  I feel that even if she cannot solve a problem, she will let me and my coworkers express our feelings without judgment. We feel heard. She truly cares about us, not just as employees but as people. Windy supports career advancement, either within the department or even within SSM, even if it means the staff member leaves the department. It is not unusual to find a personalized thank you note on your desk. It can mean everything on a rough day to know that you are seen and appreciated for the hard work that you are doing.    

Windy has for several years championed AIDET training to help us communicate better between ourselves, our SSM coworkers, and the people that we serve.  Windy partnered with the gynecological cancer practice at St. Mary's to facilitate better communication, resulting in increased efficiency and significant patient satisfaction. New work-throughs were created with the input of both the gynecological cancer practice staff and providers and the Infusion Center nurses.  Windy listened to the staff at both the St. Clare and St. Mary's locations when they expressed difficulties with safety, satisfaction, and fatigue with regard to low staffing numbers. Windy went to bat for the department to get positions created/approved and then filled so that her employees were able to function safely and happily, which also helped the staff to provide exceptional care to patients and each other. She advocates for staff to be able to put family first, to find someone to cover a position when possible, and to help out herself if no one is available. She recognizes the importance of family and work/life balance.

Windy did not have oncology experience before she came to the Cancer Care department. She shadowed in the Infusion Center so she could understand what we do and how we do it. She took it upon herself to take the chemotherapy fundamentals course to learn what we do here and better educate herself to serve us as a manager and to serve our oncology patients. She paid out of pocket for this in order to be a good steward of our resources and to be able to support staff and patients. Windy hired an employee who did not feel that the Infusion Center was the best department for her skill set. Windy advocated for her by helping actively seek out a job better suited for her within SSM. One of my coworkers specifically used the word "compassionate" when discussing this situation. The employee who did not stay in this department felt supported and was grateful that Windy helped her even though she was not staying.    

Windy’s responsibilities changed at the beginning of 2020 from managing the physician office staff at two different locations to managing the physician office staff and the Infusion Center staff at one location. Windy immediately stepped up and scheduled herself time to shadow with the Infusion Center staff so she could learn how we operate in case the Infusion Center was short-staffed one day and she could then step in to lend a hand. She took a lot of administrative duties away from the Infusion Center lead nurses so that the nurses can focus on patient care. She consistently assists the physician's office staff so that they can handle issues that only they can. She takes on other duties that she can do in order to let the staff focus on those tasks.    

In mid-2023, her counterpart at the other location left the position. Windy tirelessly continued to support not only "her" staff at St. Clare but all of the Cancer Care staff at all three locations. Windy traveled between each location so she could be on-site to support the staff and manage problems or issues. When a new manager was hired, Windy trained her for several months, continuing to go back and forth so that the new leader was acclimated to all of the sites in Cancer Care and understood the similarities and differences. Windy helped the staff learn to work with a new manager and the staff are very happy.    

Windy once told me, “I knew that I was going to be a nurse when I was four years old, the first time I had my blood drawn.” She moved out of her childhood home at 17 and worked two jobs to graduate and go to nursing school. She has never looked back. She is one of the calmest, caring, and compassionate individuals that I know. Windy participates in several mission trips every year. She travels to Central and South America to provide much-needed medical care to isolated people. She traveled to Guatemala and stayed for several weeks to learn Spanish in an immersive program. She did this in order to be able to communicate with patients, to understand their unique needs, and to be able to offer medical care, emotional care, and comfort. Additionally, Windy organizes supply drives to collect coats, blankets, toiletries, backpacks, etc. to distribute to the homeless during the holiday season. Windy regularly participates in activities organized by SSM, such as the Cancer Care Gala.    

Windy initiated using the ColorCode Personality Test to help staff understand the best ways to interact with each other with respect to dos and don'ts. She helped the staff to understand their own learning and interaction styles and how best to understand the learning and interaction styles of the people with whom they work. A wonderful and exciting opportunity came up for a staff member in a different department within SSM. Windy encouraged the staff member to pursue the position and supported them throughout the interview process. The staff member started in the new department and realized that it was not a good fit. They came back to the office and spoke with Windy. The staff member said that Windy “dropped what she was doing to discuss the situation” and work with the staff member. The staff member was so grateful that Windy took time for them and welcomed them back with open arms. Windy has stated several times that she hires for fit, not for a warm body. Windy works hard to ensure that every person hired to work at Cancer Care possesses the same work ethic, compassion, and empathy that she herself possesses. Windy ensures that interviewees get an interview with several current staff members. This enables the current staff can interact with the interviewee to judge if they also think this person would be a good fit, and also for the interviewee to experience the department and its flow, and to get a sense of whether or not this is a department in which they would flourish.    

A prospective staff member was being interviewed by Windy when she was asked about a negative experience she had had with a previous employer. The interviewee recounted an experience at a different job where she was covering for a coworker who was praying as generally practiced by her faith. The interviewee stated that she got in trouble with management for covering for her. Windy spoke about how, at a different employer, she created a room specifically for a staff member to be able to pray and to have privacy. Windy made it a priority for the employee, as well as the other employees who used the room, to feel comfortable and safe to practice their faith and to be able to relax. The interviewee said, “When Windy said that, that’s when I realized that I had to get this job. I was so thrilled to understand the kind of environment that she had cultured in Cancer Care. She is the best boss that I have ever had.” When she was offered the job, she accepted it immediately. She has joined the team and has been a wonderful asset.    

Windy's motto is to be kind. She emphasizes that there is a difference between being kind and being nice, and helps the staff learn the difference and how to have kindness and respect for everyone. Windy makes it clear during interviews that staff who work here are kind and new hires are expected to understand and practice this. She encourages the staff to provide grace to each other and patients.