My mother was at MMC for a couple of weeks, she was transferred from another hospital, spent a night or so on Richards wing, then was transferred to Gibson. She has been struggling with various cancers over the past two years...bladder, colon, and uterine. We spent over a week at MMC while her doctor was trying to determine the cause of her pain and abdominal ascites.

My mom was very well taken care of by all of the Gibson staff. The RNs and CNAs certainly developed the closest relationship with my mom due to their frequent contact. Her medical challenges included a limitation to clear liquids, abdominal pain, partial bowel obstruction, vomiting (corrected via use of an NG tube), and throat discomfort from the NG tube. Of course, care was required around the clock, so the nurses would see my mom in twelve hour blocks of time. She first met Jared when he was working a night shift. My mom noted the extra effort Jared devoted towards her care and her roommate also noted that Jared had gone above and beyond the basic care requirements throughout the evening.

We were pleased to see Jared switch to day shift and my mom had the pleasure of his care and company for several days both before and after her terminal diagnosis of returning colon cancer. Jared became acquainted with and appreciated by the very large group of family and friends that were at Gibson providing support to my mom. Jared's excellent care of one MMC patient created goodwill and a strong reputation for Gibson/MMC that was multiplied by about a factor of twenty through family and friends. These MMC "customers" have been raving about the excellent care my mom received during a very difficult time.

There are several reasons that Jared was able to distinguish himself among a very strong group of care providers. Jared cares about his patients and is able to convey that through his frequent patient "touches" and the quality of those contacts that pile up hour after hour and shift after shift. Jared has a way of explaining the medical situation and treatment approach that resonates with the patient and makes the patient sense that a small part of Jared is going through this with the patient. He clearly cares and is able to convey his compassion while maintaining his professional demeanor and approach.

Another way Jared was able to distinguish himself was his advocacy for family and friends. Jared always offered support in the form of a drink or directions to the family lounge when the room got quite full. Jared listened to my mom and our family members when we reported on pain level and her care needs. Jared would always follow up on our requests for discussions with medical staff or care management as we blindly navigated our way through a very new situation for our family.

The most convincing argument I can make is to watch the next patient Jared Walker takes care of and soon enough he will be praised and appreciated in one form or another. You can't work that hard and be so compassionate without favorably impacting patients and families. MMC should be proud to have such a strong patient advocate.

My mom is in hospice now as I sit here typing this nomination. She is a very proud, strong Mainer. Jared hails from Skowhegan and was educated at Fort Kent. I am proud to have him represent our largest hospital and the State of Maine as an RN for natives and visitors alike to Gibson. Well done, Jared, and keep up the great work.