Every single shift she works, Mariah makes a profound difference in the Heart Institute with quiet leadership. Working in the CICU, we depend on Mariah’s astute clinical assessment to keep our vulnerable patients safe. Her ability to harmoniously combine the efforts of CICU and HKU benefits the patients who need escalation in care and those who are ready to step down to acute care.

For example, on a busy day with a full unit, we got a call about a newborn who needed to come to CICU. Without hesitation, Mariah jumped in and collaborated with the CICU charge nurse to determine the safest kid to transfer out so a room could be made available for the newborn. She took the patient assignment herself, despite being in charge, so as not to overburden her nursing team. Mariah leads her unit with poise and grace, along with a touch of silliness, to get her patients smiling and laughing.