Health & Wellness
Memorial Health has nominated Tricia Daniels, BSN, RN, CCRN, and Director of Cardiovascular Services, as their nominee for the 2023 Ohio Hospital Association’s (OHA) Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award. The award is presented annually to one Ohio healthcare employee who personifies leadership, reflects the mission and values of his or her organization, routinely performs work in an exemplary manner, and gives back to the community.
Heart disease remains as the leading cause of death in the nation, as well as in Union County, one of the fastest growing counties in the state. Daniels has a passion to ensure advanced heart care is accessible to everyone in her community. She first led the clinical team that launched a Level I Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Memorial in 2013, doubling down on her vision as she led the opening of a Level II Lab in 2022. Patients now have access to emergency heart care, with an interventional cardiologist and cardiac team available 24/7. The regional impact is revealed in the numbers – cardiac transfers from Memorial have decreased by a staggering 90% in 2022, resulting in the community having access to advanced heart care, right here in their region.
As noted in the nomination, a key component of launching the new Cath Lab services was coordination and training between the Memorial Cath Lab team and local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers.
Prior to the launch, Daniels coordinated open houses for local EMS teams, as well as teams from surrounding counties, to have the opportunity to tour Memorial’s enhanced Cath Lab, meet and talk with the interventional cardiologists, and discuss best practices for ensuring time-saving protocols. Each member in attendance valued the time to talk one-on-one with the physicians, as well as see the Cath Lab and understand the process.
In addition, the squad teams were provided training materials on past patient examples, including EKGs, transfer information, and feedback forms. Having the latest information at their fingertips on the patients they transported to Memorial allows these teams to have good knowledge for continuous learning and training.
Daniels and her team are continuing these training opportunities with community healthcare partners as it helps the entire continuum of care – from EMS to ER to Cath Lab to patient recovery.
“Tricia first came to Memorial in 1997 as a critical care staff nurse and has played a vital role in launching both the diagnostic and interventional cardiology programs at Memorial Health,” comments Chip Hubbs, President and CEO of Memorial Health. “The success of these programs relied on Tricia’s ability to build strong relationships across the organization including onboarding the right people, solidifying trust with The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center physicians, and collaboration with interconnected departments. Tricia has had a tremendous impact on our organization and it brings us great pride to nominate her for this statewide recognition.”
