I have chosen to nominate Christopher L Morales for his outstanding performance as an ICU Director. Christopher is tasked with keeping the ICU in a stalwart forward-moving fashion, truly he is its keeper. Christopher is charged with maintaining patients throughout admissions/ discharges, assisting in ICU employee hiring, advising on all aspects of critical care and beyond, and maintaining customer, and employee satisfaction at its highest.

An example of how Christopher ensures the utmost quality of care is in his everyday reminder that all of El Paso can fail, but UMC’s ICU cannot. During the August 3rd tragedy, Christopher was present to assist in every aspect of patient care, from the movement of patients throughout the hospital to the squeezing of an IV solution to administer a bolus to a crashing patient. Christopher was there to ensure it was completed well, but more importantly to remind everyone to do just as he does and do it to the best of, not their ability, but to the patients' needs.

An example of how Christopher provides a safe haven for his department is in his very presence on the unit, in the office, in the boardrooms, and in virtual meetings. Christopher is an individual who can, not only, “Walk the walk, but also talk the talk.” Christopher’s trove of knowledge is virtually endless, and his years of experience at the bedside speak volumes through his recommendations at the bedside to improve patient health. Furthermore, Christopher is very polite, and friendly and pays every cent of attention to anyone whom he is talking to. Speaking with Christopher about your problems in life is almost like therapy, as his emotional intelligence and knowledge of psychology are without boundaries.