Christine Smith is the manager for 4CC-Medical Oncology. Within the last two years, she has helped start an initiative on the floor to encourage patients to move. This initiative is called "Motivation to Move." The purpose is to help prevent falls and weakness, which can lead to poor performance and delays in treatment. 

Level 1 of this is the "Walking Warrior." We have mapped out a mile on the unit, and the patients who are able to ambulate can track how many miles they walked during their admission. Towards the end of their stay, they can pick out a prize. We have had many patients walk the distance of a 5K, 10K, and even full marathons, depending on the length of their stay.

I am nominating Christine Smith because she has gone above and beyond to help promote and support this initiative. Over the weekend, she made over 50 t-shirts with "walking warrior" on the front. This was time spent during her time off and money spent out of her own pocket that was put towards our patient population. It truly shows the dedication and love that she has not only for this initiative but for all of our patients. She has such a big heart and wants to help promote strength and wellness so our patients can continue fighting cancer. You should see our Walking Warriors walking around the unit wearing their t-shirts. We even had a male patient recently who tied it to the top of his IV pole and used it like a flag to show he was a warrior. This small token means so much to our patients, and it is worth everything to see them smile.