April Johnson-Lyon works in the Medical Subspecialty clinics and is an outstanding nurse who truly goes above and beyond for the Veterans we serve. Her actions embody the I-CARE values each day. Here is just one example of her compassion for the Veterans. A female Veteran presented to the clinic for a scheduled appointment. When she was being screened, she verbalized that she was afraid of her husband, and he had stated he was going to kill both himself and her. Ms. April took the initiative to call the available resources and when they could not assist the Veteran to her satisfaction, she then escorted the Veteran to the Emergency Department to make sure she got the assistance that was needed. 

She inquired about resources for the Veteran to make sure she was safe and had an alternate place to go versus going home to her spouse. Ms. April could have just handed the Veteran off to the next person, but she did not. She wanted to make sure the Veteran had all the resources she needed and felt safe about the plan that was being developed. She even followed up with the Veteran the next day to make sure she was safe and did not need anything. The Veteran eventually returned to the clinic to thank Ms. April and to let her know that her spouse had succumbed to his own demise. Ms. April again stepped up and provided emotional support along with assisting the Veteran with resources to assist her during this difficult time. She escorted her to the various places in the facility she needed to visit to make sure she did not get lost and was able to get everything she needed. Each action that Ms. April took displayed the I-CARE values, by not just screening the Veteran for the scheduled appointment but by assisting her with all her needs - embodying the whole Veteran, not just what she was being seen for.