Submitted by Kai Williams, Therapy Resource, Keystone East, TX
We love our nurses! They bring so much clinical strength and leadership to our market! We see them tirelessly tending to the needs of patients, providing updates to family members, providing oversight/guidance to their CNAs … the list goes on and on. We wanted to take the opportunity to introduce you to Deanna Rodriguez. Although her cape is invisible, she wears it with such grace and humility.
The clinical journey for Deanna did not happen overnight! She began as a LVN in 2002 and she received her RN in 2010. She found a passion in leadership and developing leaders and became a DON in 2012. She has built her experience throughout the year, and we are so privileged to have her on our team. She currently serves as the DON at the Courtyard. She came in with such a fun and energetic spirit and quickly implemented several clinical systems that have produced extremely positive results at the facility. When COVID entered the facility last year, she was such a rock and solid support to those that she encountered. What is most noticeable is that she extends her support beyond her facility. She is a familiar face in several of her cluster facilities. She takes the time to assist with other facilities’ EMPR, UDAs and Risk Management. She has become a true owner of this process and loves celebrating and empowering accountability.
Take a look at this picture below. Deanna was getting ready to head over to a sister facility to provide support, and her team just couldn’t bear to have her leave. It was a great shot that captured some of her Nursing team, having a little fun, holding her “hostage.”
Recently, Deanna voluntarily stepped up to take the interim DON position at one of her cluster facilities due to the departure of the previous DON. The facility needed clinical leadership, and she stepped up! She has been able to successfully take that facility through full book and a few state pop-up visits. With the support of her partners, she helped them to open their COVID unit, and they have safely accepted patients from other sister facilities as well as the hospital. Deanna has put such a wonderful level of investment into her ADON and nurse partners in her local facility that she is able to physically step away without any clinical disruption occurring. s
Thank you, Deanna, for all you continue to do!