Lauren
Steiner
October 2025
Lauren
Steiner
,
MSN, RN, OCN
UMass Memorial Medical Center
Worcester
,
MA
United States

 

 

 

Lauren's actions demonstrated the essence of patient-centered care that we strive to deliver every day at UMMMC.
Lauren went above and beyond by leading a very complicated treatment plan. The plan involved coordinating across multiple team members on different campuses, including the Pavilion. The residents reached out to multiple people who did not know how to get the treatment plan done, as this was a task that had never been attempted before at the Pavilion. However, Lauren was able to help us come up with a plan for this very critical case. She even stayed after her shift to ensure that it was completed. The resident team is especially grateful for her prompt and professional response and really appreciates her efforts, as it was lifesaving for our patient. To ensure the highest quality care and efficient throughput, patients are cohorted by service line. On a Saturday afternoon, I was notified that a patient at the Memorial Campus had been ordered a chemotherapeutic agent for a non-oncologic indication. Our standard work is to transfer the patient to the University Campus, where the nurses are competent to administer the medication safely. When our standard procedures were shared with the clinical team, the provider reached out, stating that this is a long-stay patient who lacked capacity, who just began trusting our team, and that transferring the patient would compromise her safety. We had to get creative. Recognizing that sending a University Campus nurse to the Memorial Campus was not possible, I reached out to Lauren to see if she would be willing to go. Lauren answered my frantic call to ensure this patient received a time-sensitive medication that she desperately needed. Lauren's actions demonstrated the essence of patient-centered care that we strive to deliver every day at UMMMC. In speaking with Dr. K, the patient's attending, he said it best, "As they say, it takes a village to take care of patients.... Your dedication, compassion, and professionalism have not gone unnoticed, and we truly appreciate all the efforts you put into ensuring this patient’s comfort and well-being. Your teamwork, attention to detail, and thoughtful communication made a challenging time much more manageable for our Family Medicine Hospitalist team to care for this patient. It’s rare to find such a cohesive and caring group of individuals, and we are incredibly thankful for all of your hard work." Lauren, thank you for going above and beyond for our patients and our caregivers.