Eleanor Ucci “Nurse Ellie” has been a nurse since 1954 when she started working in a Naval hospital. After moving to Arizona in 1977, Ellie began working at Mesa Lutheran Hospital in 1981. She also worked as a school nurse at Red Mountain High School in Mesa. Earlier this year, Ellie celebrated her 90th birthday, yet she continues to work full-time as a postpartum nurse at Banner Gateway Medical Center, in Gilbert.

Ellie is loved and admired by her family, co-workers and friends. She has 3 grown children, 7 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and 2 great, great-grandchildren.

Nurse Ellie has impacted so many families in our community. She has worked for our organization for nearly 40 years and in that time has cared for thousands of families at their most important moments. For many years Ellie worked as a labor and delivery RN. Many of our current staff members share that Ellie was their nurse when they had their own babies, who are now grown. She later transitioned to the postpartum unit and has really blossomed as she is very passionate about teaching new parents how to care for themselves and their new additions. She is kind but direct with her patients and does not shy away from difficult topics such as substance use and how parents’ behavior impacts their children.

Ellie has also done so much for the future of Nursing, a career that she truly loves. Obviously, her outstanding career alone is a great example of the power of nursing. But over the past several years, especially during the COVID pandemic, Ellie has continued to focus on patient care and educating future nurses. Every time Ellie gets into the spotlight, she finds another way to shine a positive light on the field of nursing. Ellie has truly dedicated her lifetime to her passion of caring for others and for this reason, she deserves a Lifetime Achievement Award.