For the majority of her 30 plus years of nursing, Barbara has dedicated herself to the care of the most fragile pediatric patients. She began in the pediatric intensive care unit of the “old” hospital” without all the bells and whistles of today’s modern intensive care unit. She has witnessed the transition of pediatric medicine to a specialty driven discipline in which she helped mentor some of the best and brightest medical and nursing leaders of today in the art and science of “hands and heart care”. She has worked in neurology; neurodiagnostics; emergency and inpatient care areas….both as a clinician and as an educator. Her years of service include serving as an integral part of the leadership team that established the Network of Care location at Parker Adventist…long before Project Managers and CPI teams led the path to such endeavors.

Her clinical expertise and passion for patient care is evident in the many new staff she oriented; the educational programs she developed and the organizational teams she has and continues to participate in. Barbara embraced the nursing profession; her practice and in particular, her staff development with a vision for the future …a characteristic she inherited from her 93 year old mother (a retired military nurse who continues to offer opinion on what “nurses need to be doing”).

Barbara is a trusted colleague; the “go-to” person on the unit when you need to de-brief about a difficult patient; family or situation. She is the epitome of customer service at all levels; a person who never seems to have a bad day. Her career has weathered many changes…both professionally and personally always with the air of optimism and looking for the next opportunity in the journey through life. Barbara is a mentor; a friend and an inspiring reflection of solid dedication to our profession; to the mission and vision of Children’s Hospital; to every patient she encounters and to all of us who know and love her!