I first learned of Elaine when Jerilyn brought me her resume that had just came across our website. Elaine’s resume was awesome. She had wonderful experiences and it was clear she was a brave leader who was willing to take risks. Not wanting to miss this opportunity I called her immediately. Little did I know until recently she didn’t expect my call. You see Don had submitted her resume. He knew she wanted to work in a leadership position in the Critical Access Hospital and thought SEH was perfect. Luckily they were heading here for a vacation and Elaine came in the next week. Who she was in person spoke louder than her resume. It became apparent to me she loved being a nurse and she loved her profession. Not only did she share with me her fantastic working experiences, she shared with me during her interview of her desire to find the right fit for her and her family. She wanted Sean to find a good school where he could finish his high school years, she wanted a place where Don could coach football and she wanted a place where she could grow and make a difference. Don shared with me recently that Elaine’s desire was always to bring the best to an organization. That every place she worked she offered her best practice and took her personal growth with her to the next organization. She certainly did this for St. Elizabeth. She worked diligently to ensure the nurses understood the policies that governed their practice. She loved nursing and the difference a nurse could make for a patient. She worked hard to help employees increase their patient care knowledge. She encouraged staff to stretch themselves and bring new resources to improve patient care. Certainly we benefitted from her love of nursing. She was instrumental in making sure all staff was prepared to open the new hospital. Right before we opened, she spent many a late night making sure the nurses had everything they needed to make the hospital opening a success. I especially remember one late night right before we opened where she was putting documentation together that she wanted to make sure every nurse on the Acute Care unit had so they would have the appropriate resources to care for their patients. That is just who she was, it wasn’t done until she felt the nurses had what they needed. Don shared that Elaine considered SEH her extended family. Although, her time with us was way too short, we are honored that she considered us a part of her family. Don and Sean thank you so much for sharing your wife and mother with us. Her love for nursing and her desire to always improve our care will continue to inspire us. She definitely brought us the best and we are better for it. ****************** Elaine had an exuberant love of life which showed in her quick smiles and “can do” attitude. She loved teaching and did it well. She made a huge difference in the training for our move to SEH – we could not have done it without her ideas and help. Elaine often stepped out of her role as Assistant Manager / Educator to help her team with patient care (even if it was an off shift or on the weekend). This was done cheerfully and without complaint. She was an integral part of our team and is sorely missed. *************************** When I first came to Enumclaw and met Elaine I found her to be very personable. In our discussion, we learned that we had both worked at the same small hospital in Delta, Colorado, be it years apart from each other. She insisted that I had to know the same people that had been there "forever". I found that her friendly nature made it easy to talk and she had the knack to make learning experiences interesting and not something to dread. I had the pleasure of being her "buddy" when we went to Alabama together to participate in FEMA training. I remember her talking to me before leaving about how she was afraid to fly. But as each day got closer to our departure she became more excited and looked forward to the trip. When we arrived in Georgia at the airport (our destination point) we decided that we needed some exercise after the long flight, so we walked to the baggage area. That turned out to be a mistake as it was a very long way and we almost missed the bus to Alabama. We laughed hard over the experience. She knew a couple of people at the conference from the FHS system and she always included me so that I wouldn't feel left out. She was a caring person and I grew to appreciate her so much on that trip to Alabama. She always looked for learning experiences; not only for herself but to share what she knew with others at work. She never looked down on others for what they didn't know, but sought ways to help the person grow in their professional career. I'll always remember her for the confidence she exhibited and her beautiful smile. ************************************ From the first time I met Elaine she was warm and friendly. I never talked to her when she didn't ask me if I needed help with something. She was always putting everyone else before herself. I was new in my job as an Assistant Cynical Manager and she was very generous with her time and talent helping me grow into my new role. Elaine wanted things perfect for her staff and she worked very hard to make sure they had all the education and tools that they needed to do their jobs. The night before we were going to move into the new hospital she was in the office late putting together binders for all of the med/surg staff so they were prepared for the first day. She loved teaching and knew how to reach her students so that they had an understanding of what was being taught. One of the funny things that Elaine taught was how to text, I didn’t do it much before getting to know her, but she loved to send me text messages late at night so I learned to reply. When she went to Alabama I had a play by play of the week and the same went for me when I went to Alabama, so now, I text a lot. I can get both my teenagers to respond immediately to a text message as before if I called their cell phone they would take their time getting back to me. On the last Friday that Elaine worked we had lunch together, she was happier than she had been in a while. She was relaxed and planning on having a quiet weekend only at home. We talked about our children, husbands, cleaning the house and laundry girl talk. I will remember it always. *********************************************** I remember one afternoon when Mr. Dennis Popp arrived at the CCU nurse's station with a few other men in suits (I later found out the gentlemen were from corporate). Mr. Popp asked if I could get a Chg RN or the HR to come show them the CCU beds (has many nice functions). I called down to the Med/Surg nurse's station and of course they were very busy. I started to worry a little that I was going to be left waiting for a long time to fulfill his request. In less than 60 seconds, here came Elaine with her hair flying back, all smiles, more than willing to accommodate this request. I was so relieved to see her! And of course, she gave a great tour and demonstration.