When I reflect on the phrase "Excellence Always", the educator who immediately comes to mind is Ally Rodriguez. Ally exemplifies excellence in every aspect of her role as a clinical educator, registered nurse, colleague, and mentor. Ally graciously serves as the service line lead for the Women's Education team and has provided excellent leadership to our team. As a team, we have been stretched across the division, working to fill open positions; however, the support we have received from Ally across the division to "make ends meet" has been unmatched. Even with her plate completely full, Ally manages to find a way to provide continued support across our team.

While balancing her own facility and support across the division, Ally continues to provide excellent clinical education to our nursing staff. If I can sum up the feedback I've received from any nurse who has met Ally or had the opportunity to learn from her, it is simple: "We love Ally". Ally strives to make a positive impact on patient outcomes through didactic classes, hands-on learning, and one-on-one mentorship.

Ally has such a strong passion for improving maternal morbidity and mortality rates in our county. Unfortunately, there is a huge social disconnect regarding the seriousness surrounding the crisis of preventable maternal death in our country; Ally works diligently to change that narrative. She works incredibly hard to develop content to reinforce that women's healthcare is not eating bonbons and holding babies; it is emergency care, it is critical care, and it is life-altering care. For example, when we received updated data demonstrating that the number one cause of maternal death in our country is related to maternal mental health, Ally immediately began working on content to share with our nursing staff. She developed the first lecture in our division related to maternal mental health conditions, including an incredibly impactful patient story related to postpartum depression. The impact this lecture has made with our nursing staff...how closely it has hit home with many of our nursing staff...is indescribable.

Ally continues to use her platform as a clinical educator to advocate for excellent patient care and to help our nurses connect the dots of pathophysiology and clinical presentation, reinforce early recognition of clinical deterioration and timely intervention, and the importance of robust communication.

Ally has been a presenter at the AWHONN (the primary nursing foundation for women's health in the states) national conference for 3 years in a row. She will be speaking at the AWHONN state conference next month to discuss OB sepsis and the devastating effects it can have on our perinatal population. Her presentation will include a meaningful case review that reinforces the realistic and critical effects sepsis has on our maternal patients.

Ally goes above and beyond every day in the absolute best way possible, and does not look for or expect any kind of recognition ever.