I wish I could nominate the entire staff of the Cardiac & Pulmonary Wellness Center. I have been amazed at the consistent level of excellence displayed by everyone. Every session they are professional without being cold or detached. They are focused on ensuring every patient gets the most benefit from the program at the same time. They are personally warm, engaged, and go out of their way to get to know the patients to make them feel safe and accepted, and encourage everyone to do the best they are able. That level of excellence and consistency doesn’t happen by accident – the Center’s leadership team also deserves praise for their hiring, training, and oversight practices to deliver a great experience. I could cite specific examples for almost every member of the staff where they have gone “above and beyond’, but one nurse did so for me repeatedly, and so I am nominating her: Molly. Early in the program, I was feeling ambivalent about continuing with it. My cardiologist had already okayed me to resume my original 3x/week exercise regimen from before my surgery and I was already doing that. I was about to return to work full-time and I was doubting whether I was getting enough incremental benefit to be worth the time commitment to continue with cardiac rehab. Also, if I did choose to continue, what would my goals be? (I am very goal-oriented.) I mentioned my doubts one day with Molly during the normal check-in process, almost as an aside. I wasn’t expecting her to do anything. Instead, she took my misgivings seriously and immediately addressed them point by point. We ended up having a 25-minute conversation! She still wasn’t done: the next session she came by with more context and information to help me set specific exercise goals. That she remembered our conversation and followed up to make sure my questions were fully answered made a huge impression on me. Mollys’ level of commitment to her patients, her engagement and passion is what convinced me to see the program through to the end – which I will complete this week. Although this is the most significant instance, it is not the only one. Whenever I had a question, Molly would work to give me a full and complete answer; if she wasn’t certain about the details she would research and get back to me. Once, I was using one of the elliptical machines when Molly came by to check on me as part of her rounds. I had a question about which muscle groups the machine was working on and whether I should be using different slopes. She wasn’t sure, and the exercise physiologist wasn’t around to ask. The next time I saw her, she had investigated and shared what she had learned. I entered the program in relatively good condition both physically and mentally; it would have been entirely reasonable for the staff to pay less attention to me so they could focus on patients with more significant issues. But I saw no evidence of that – I was always treated as my situation was as important as everyone else, and Molly demonstrated that repeatedly. That dedication, and respect for a patient’s concerns no matter how minor, is what builds trust. It demonstrates a deep concern for each patient as a human being, not just a set of health conditions to be treated. I have come to appreciate that one of the most important aspects of the rehab program is to create a space for each of us to come to terms with whatever consequences – physical or mental – that are manifesting after our respective procedures. Molly always made me feel seen, that my questions and concerns are valid and consequently I am more comfortable being open and discussing them with her (and the other staff). Thank you, Molly!