Maxine is a team player and extremely hard-working. Although she has only been part of the Endo family for a couple of years, she has become an integral part of our family. She started in the department as a procedural nurse and now works in Endo's PAE area. She never once stops caring and advocating for patients, whether at the bedside or over the phone.

As you can imagine, many patients come to our department scared. They fear the unknown, whether it is from a positive Cologuard or from other symptomology, Maxine always comforts them, and offers words of encouragement. One case in particular come to mind, there was a woman who she called for screening and the patient's husband had been recently hospitalized. The woman was so stressed because she needed to have the colonoscopy in follow-up to a positive Cologuard and a strong family history of colon polyps. Now, the woman did not have a ride or anyone to keep an eye on her sick husband. Maxine encouraged her to reach out to friends and family for assistance. The woman called Maxine multiple times, and together, they were able to ensure the patient had her concerns addressed (finding a ride, ensuring she followed the diet restrictions, and taking the Gosh Awful prep).

While many may disregard the importance of our job, it's not just a job. It's helping patients before they even cross the Mercy Medical Center threshold. To her surprise, Maxine was her recovery nurse. The patient did make it in for her procedure, and her workup was fairly benign, but she was so happy to have Maxine assist her before and after her procedure. She was so thankful for all the care she received before, during, and after her procedure here at Mercy.