Whenever we heard my husband had Richard as his nurse for the day, my daughter and I cheered. We knew we never had to worry about him when he was in Richard’s care. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center says it measures its success by the difference they make in people’s lives and if they look at the difference Richard (a nurse of 29 years) makes in people’s lives, they will see that they are 100% successful. My daughter and I practically lived at the hospital when my husband was there so we saw firsthand Richard’s extraordinary care. My husband was initially admitted for pneumonia, but the doctors think his lung inflammation was an autoimmune response to a rare virus. He was in the ICU for a night, and we were not sure he would make it. There were a number of nurses who stood out but none more than Richard. Even the nurses agreed with us that Richard was the best on their floor. Not only did Richard treat my husband with the respect and kindness he deserved, but he also did many seemingly little things that helped him, my daughter, and I feel comforted and heard. Richard always updated us on my husband's progress as soon as we arrived at the hospital and answered all of our questions patiently and thoroughly. My husband was very confused at the hospital, which is common for someone who is 79 and has a long stay, but he also had been diagnosed three years earlier with autoimmune encephalitis, a very rare disease causing inflammation of the brain. This augmented his delirium and caused him much distress. Richard made an effort to understand my husband's baseline and focused on what he could do independently instead of what he couldn’t do. He was the one nurse who helped him shower as soon as my husband was able and always made sure he ate when my daughter and I weren’t there. (My husband's appetite had waned because of this illness, and he was rapidly losing weight, which was contributing to his ability to get better.) He helped my husband FaceTime with me when he was distressed and provided a reassuring presence when we were not there. We are so grateful for Richard’s kindness and compassion and are certain he has touched many other hearts. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is blessed to have Richard as an employee, and my daughter and I are thrilled that we can nominate him for this award.