This is a difficult nomination to write. Sarah has made a drastic impact on the South Metro team in several ways. Over the last two years, the South ED has had a drastic increase in census and acuity. The years of 2022-2024 YTD, have all accompanied 40% more patients than historic normal. Additionally, patients are significantly sicker or more severely injured.

For example, in the last month, we have treated: an infant with an aortic coarctation, a tension pneumothorax, a pericardial effusion, a 20-foot fall trauma, and an ingestion requiring cardiovascular support. This change in census and acuity happened quickly and took a lot of effort to prepare for. A culture built on lower acuity emergency patients and urgent care services does not just flip into high acuity care. It takes a great deal of education, but also a shift in culture expectations.

With consideration for this, Sarah was creative and open minded to novel, but also fun, ways of educating on heavier topics. This took the form of a resuscitation room escape room, trauma bingo activities, and a critical care skills day, to name a few. For these creative educational activities, she was twice selected to present at the national trauma conference.

Rather than strictly plan these activities on her own, though, Sarah approached these projects from a collaborative lens. She involved numerous front line team members; helping to grow future leaders but also empower their voices in decisions that impact their work. Of course, there are always multiple working opportunities. All while Sarah was spending significant amounts of time on these projects and with team members, she was also helping to grow our leadership team.

During this time, four new associate clinical managers and an additional clinical education specialist started in the South Metro leadership team. Sarah found a way to split her time and attention, continuing her collaborative approach in how she helped each of them to grow into their roles. She was an instrumental part of building a leadership culture that holds team members, and each other, accountable in a caring manner. This change in leadership was not isolated to the South Metro, though. Several units felt the impact of this throughout the Covid years. This showed strongly in the ED service lines.

Sarah quickly became the most senior ED clinical education specialist. She recognized this and ensured that she was available for other unit needs in any way she could assist in the growth of other clinical education specialists. It’s important to note, though, that Sarah’s collaborative spirit does not end at her office door. She has made a point to work in both the South ED and the South inpatient unit on numerous occasions.

Sarah’s approach to partnership with the entire team cannot be fully captured on paper. She meets the team where they work, and she works to understand their needs. This effort leads to genuine appreciation. Sarah is the first to create custom gifts to recognize team members for years of service, noteworthy achievements, etc. This, again, creates an amazing impact on the positive and solution-oriented culture seen in the South Metro.

The South Metro team should be tired. They should be frustrated. Everything has become so busy and so challenging so quickly. Yet the South Metro team is excited. It’s thriving. Sarah has not called it “good enough”, either. She continues to build our team in creative ways. Her most recent work has involved the implementation of case reviews in partnership with South Metro medical leadership.

I recall a family recognition Sarah recently received. A particular family stated, “Our nurse Sarah Schmidt went above and beyond to help my daughter’s occluded central line. It was a tough clog and without her knowledge and expertise I don’t think we would have gotten it cleared! I really appreciate her care and kindness.” This family received what should maybe be called the Sarah Schmidt experience: an extensive amount of knowledge, mixed with genuine care for others.