Tom has held leadership positions since the day he arrived at Morton Plant Hospital. It's not really surprising, because when you talk to nurses and leaders, he tends to rally what's important.
Tom makes sure bedside nurses have the equipment they need to enable their work. At the inception of the pandemic, it was PPE, but there has been a focus throughout his career to marshal clinical resources for his nurses. He elicits help from non-nursing clinicians, whether it be the lab, occupational health, or respiratory therapy. If it makes sense for another department to pick up the responsibility, he seeks their help, keeping nurses at the bedside for patient care.
Nurses perceive Tom as a nurse's nurse. He is a good listener. He lends his ear equally to the staff nurse or leadership. When he became our Vice President for Patient Services, he had the task of bringing all five West Region Hospitals to a uniform expectation for standardized practice. This also enabled uniform response for regulatory surveys (JCAHO, OSHA, etc.). His vision was One Nurse, One Hospital, One Organization.
Tom makes time for people. No matter where you might be in the 40 miles surrounding what comprises the West Region of BayCare, you can find Tom. It could be a Certified Nurse Luncheon, a Preceptor Breakfast, Team Member Anniversary lunches, no matter the time of day, you can be sure Tom is there to recognize and cheer the nurses on. His availability has helped smooth the transition to uniformity in the West Region.
Tom is a staunch proponent of diversity in the BayCare and Morton Plant Mease communities. He has participated in Real Men Wear Pink and raised more than $10,000 over two years. Well-loved by those from every walk of nursing. Tom is easy to approach, and his calm manner and great sense of humor enable his success and likability throughout the organization.
We are honored to recognize Tom with The DAISY Award for Lifetime Achievement.