Erica always introduces herself as “Your Case Manager, which is a fancy word for discharge planner.” This statement couldn’t be further from the truth! Erica engages with families daily and gains insight that bedside nurses may overlook due to time constraints and patient acuity. These constraints and tasks often prohibit us from having those meaningful discussions. I’ve watched Erica continuously defy the odds and move mountains for patients, whether this is through finding alternatives that allow patients closer access to home while they heal, or getting authorization for necessary medical equipment. At times, it does truly seem as though Erica speaks five different languages, all of which she uses to make great things happen.

I want to address a very special and unforgettable situation in which Erica went above and beyond. I recently had the pleasure of caring for a colleague’s mother, who had a recent decline in her health. When it became apparent her hospitalizations were getting closer together, the family sought out a Palliative Care meeting. Before the meeting occurred, the patient’s daughter told me her mother was “tired”, and their ultimate goal was to return home on Hospice Care. With the family’s permission, I asked if it was okay to put this on Case Management's “radar”. When I let Erica know what the goal was, she immediately jumped into action to achieve it. Erica was highly efficient and secured the last remaining transport time available to get our patient home same day!

Erica’s quick actions and use of resources meant our patient could go home and be surrounded by her loved ones in a comfortable environment, rather than spending her final days hooked to machines and confined to a hospital bed. Erica truly rallied the troops together to ensure everything was in place for this transfer, and the family would not have to look to outside sources once back home. Erica treated this woman and her family as though they were her only patient that day, even though we all know she was handling a full caseload, fielding calls, and speaking those previously mentioned five languages. Erica, you allowed this family to be with their loved one in her time of need. This allowed her to pass away peacefully without the presence of sterile hospital equipment, never-ending alarms, and overhead pages, which often accompany the ICU. So no, Erica, you are not just a “discharge planner.” You are the beating heart of the ICU, & I am proud to call you my coworker.