I have had the honor and the pleasure of working alongside Cathy for more than 20 years. Over these years, I have never met a more dedicated or down to earth person. Despite her position, she shows genuine concern for her staff, her coworkers, and the hospital. She has remained dedicated to her profession, and it shows that in the way that she interacts and cares for the patients that she encounters. While there are many examples, I can remember multiple times in our busiest season when she left her office and offered to help the inpatient nursing staff in any way needed. She even made beds and answered the phones. Just the other day, while eating lunch in the cafeteria, she got up and attended to the needs of a patient who had gotten sick.
As an administrator, she never takes her finger off the pulse of the system that she oversees. I think in these days and times, most employees would barely know the name or better yet recognize the administrator of their hospital, yet she never ceases to take time out of her busy schedule to make rounds to check on all of us during the week.
Mere words can do little to express my admiration for her actions, which never cease to reflect her true character. I am especially thankful to walk alongside her during this challenging journey that we are all currently taking. I cannot imagine taking it with anyone else.
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Cathy Moniaci is an outstanding leader who exemplifies caring characteristics deserving of The DAISY Nurse Leader Award. Cathy creates an environment that is safe for nursing to provide high quality and compassionate care. Nurses and other healthcare workers are inspired to do our best because Cathy role-models these characteristics. As a nurse herself, Cathy puts on multiple hats and makes sure that all our patients and families receive the best care possible.
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I have worked with Cathy for twenty plus years at Shriners Hospitals for Children. Cathy is our hospital Administrator, but she also is a Registered Nurse. She maintains admirable leadership qualities, in addition to strong clinical experience to complement the operations of our hospital. Cathy is often physically present in emergencies, hospital celebrations, greeting visitors, and chatting with the hospital staff and patients. She displays an incredible talent with communication and the genuine ability to be a kind listener. She takes the time to get to know the patients, families, and staff at a personal level and her display of concern serves as a role model to others. Cathy holds the needs of our patients at the highest level. She goes beyond to serve them with the highest quality and safest environment. Cathy stays engaged at every level and follows through with expectations and requests.
As a leader, Cathy represents patience, builds solid foundations based on trust, and leads our team confidently through conflicts or crises. She stays positive, even in tough times, and does an excellent job conveying confidence and security. Cathy has a keen talent to find solutions and encourages our team to take it on. I have observed Cathy's compassion and caring through support, mentorship, and guidance. She is often the last person to leave at the end of the day and will stop by the nursing stations on her way out to ensure that everyone has what they need and give her applaud for their efforts.
Without any reservations, Cathy Moniaci clearly demonstrates exemplary core values and the culture of a true DAISY Nurse Leader.
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Cathy is incredibly engaged with her staff and the patients we serve. I have always felt supported by her and she takes steps to understand perspectives other than her own. Every member of rehab services knows who she is and knows that Cathy works to represent them at a higher level.
The rehab services staff have confidence in her and respect for her and know that Cathy represents their perspective in all situations. Cathy always has the patient/family experience at the foundation of her decision-making. She is empathetic and has the ability to put herself in the family's shoes to understand where they are coming from so that she can best serve their needs. Cathy always attends outreach and while there, she works as a clinician. It is obvious that she loves to interact with patients and families and these interactions brighten the patient's day and obviously rejuvenate Cathy as well. Cathy works hard to create a work environment that is healthy for both patients as well as employees. She takes extra steps to make sure teams are working well together and collaborating with the upshot of creating a better experience for the patients. Cathy also works tirelessly to keep track of staff members, helping them celebrate their wins, and reaching out to them in comfort when they are down. Cathy embodies a true DAISY Nurse Leader.