I work in an administrative position, so I do not see Susan Chahalis (“Sue Cha” to us) interact with patients, but I do see the numerous Kudo letters that come her way from patients praising her as “exceptionally helpful”, “awesome” and “wonderful”.

I also see her in the hallways interacting with family and staff members. Most of the time, I see her with her hand on their arm while she is telling them a joke and getting them to smile or laugh.

I believe laughter is one of the best medicines and just through her personality, Sue helps patients, families and staff heal. She makes me giggle at least once per shift with her hilarious stories!

On the days that she does not work, I hear staff ask “Where is Sue Cha? We miss her!” Sometimes we don’t appreciate people until they are out of sight, which is sad, because they don’t know how loved they really are.

As a charge nurse, Sue Cha is very dedicated to expanding the knowledge of her staff and demonstrates this by her eagerness to assist with extra duties, including Mock Code Drills. These drills are not always received well by the busy staff, but Sue Cha realizes the benefit of them in providing safe & excellent patient care, so is willing to take the heat.

I greatly appreciate her attitude & sense of humor when dealing with stressful situations, both in her personal life, as well as professional life. She is always able to make me & other co-workers laugh, despite her own personal struggles. I am amazed at her great attitude & energy that she brings to work everyday, and appreciate all the extra time & effort she puts into making the MCH unit such a wonderful healing environment. I don’t know many people, myself included, who would have such a great attitude about life when facing the challenges that she faces. She is truly inspiring as a nurse, as well as human being, & I am a better person for knowing her.

Thank you Sue Cha for touching both the lives of your patients, as well as your co-workers.