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A Tribute to our Nurse Managers

May 11, 2016

National Nurse Week is May 6-12 and we want to thank all of our BrightStar Nurses for their hard work, dedication and passion for what they do. One of our core values is “Serve with Passion” and our Nurses portray that in every way.

We would like to recognize and thank our Office Nurses Jen, Ruth, Elaine and Sarah.

Jen Winarski, RN | Director of Nursing

Jen 150x225
I was a Junior Volunteer at age 13, became passionate about helping others and spent the next 25 years in various areas of healthcare, including hospitals, physician offices, clinics, treatment centers, schools and administrative offices.  Being a strong believer in faith and family, I am an active member of the Council of Catholic Women in my parish.
 
I love being a registered nurse because of the positive impact I can make in people’s lives, and truly feel I have been called to be an advocate for patients and their families.  This means being committed to listening to the needs of my clients and their families and working proactively with other healthcare disciplines to problem solve and deliver the best solution.  You will find that I’m a down-to-earth healthcare provider that sees each client as a person and gets to know each one and their family members on an individual level.
 

Jen has been with us for 4 ½ years and started off as a staff nurse.  She displayed such a passion for home care that we quickly moved her into Case Management. Over time, we began to see her leadership skills emerging and now as our Director of Nursing she continues to take our organization’s clinical skills to a higher and higher level. - Jim, Owner

Jen is over all fantastic! Couldn’t ask for a better Director of Nursing to work side by side with. She provides amazing training and coaching to all field staff and continuing education opportunities to help them grow and learn. She is an amazing listener to go to in any time of need and truly has the patient’s best interest at heart when it comes to clinically being able to provide the best quality care to them. – Office Staff Member

Jen knows her clients well and tailors her care to the client’s unique needs.  She also works hand in hand with our field staff to help them grow and excel. – Office Staff Member

Ruth Babb, RN | Care Coordinator

Ruth Babb 150x225
I have over 25 years experience in the nursing field, including home care case management, outpatient surgery, wound care and dialysis.  Working at BrightStar was the best career decision I could have made, providing me with the most diverse assignments.  Caring for the many patients we service has been so rewarding.
I am dedicated and determined to bring my clients the best caregivers and provide high quality home services and nursing care.  I love advocating for and helping my patients live the best life they can.  They feel safe and comfortable with us and that is what we are all about.  BrightStar is where I need to be, because it allows me to be all I can be.
I love nursing because it’s a ministry for me. I know that I’m supposed to help people who are sick, shut in or shut out, and I know that God wants me to help heal and take care of people who can’t take care of themselves and help families cope.

Ruth has been with us for 2 ½ years as a Case Manager and she continues to go above and beyond for our clients and our Field Staff.  She truly cares for each of her home care clients and has a genuine love for what she does. - Jim, Owner

Ruth is an amazing nurse! Always going above and beyond for her patients, she takes her time when she is with her clients to ensure she is providing the best quality care possible.  She will drop everything at the drop of a dime to help out and has gone out and stayed out all night servicing patients’ needs---- sometimes even putting clients’ needs before her own. – Office Staff Member

She is so dedicated to her clients and goes above and beyond to serve her clients with passion. - Office Staff Member

Elaine Ludwig, RN | Care Coordinator

Elaine Ludwig 150x225 I always wanted to be either a nurse or a teacher, and when it came time to go to college there was a nursing shortage, so I pursued a nursing degree. I later became a registered nurse as a single mom of four young children. Once my children were grown I went back to school and completed my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) degree. I have been a nurse for over 30 years and have a wealth of experiences, from hospital, to long-term care, to assisted living and finally to home care. As I oversee each client’s care, I thoroughly enjoy using this knowledge as a teaching tool for both the client and their family. Now, as a BrightStar RN Care Coordinator, I am able to fulfill my lifelong desire to be both a nurse and a teacher, serving others needs.

Elaine has been with us 3 ½ years as a Case Manager and her clients love her.  She is close to retirement but every time we think she wants to wind down her case load, she ends up taking on more clients.  Selfishly, we hope she never retires! - Jim, Owner

Elaine is such a worker! Always busy and always working. She has already tried to retire once and has come back full force to help us in our time of need (and well… has never retired yet!) she is always willing to help the team with whatever it takes to get the clients taken care of and serviced. She has a big heart and truly loves each member of this team and each one of her patients. -Office Staff Member

Elaine builds personal relationships with her clients and treats them like family. – Office Staff Member

 

Sarah Moyer, RN | Care Coordinator

Sarah Moyer 150x225 From a young age I knew I wanted to join the nursing field. My Grandmother was a nurse and as I grew up, I watched and admired her as she provided care to her patients. I have been a nurse for over 15 years now and I love going to work every day. My Background started in Hospice, Long Term Care, and Dialysis settings. I treat all my patients as if they were part of my family. Home Health Nursing allows me to not only focus on the patient, but I can also support their family and friends. As a BrightStar Care Coordinator I am able to use all of my past experiences in nursing to advocate for each and every one of my clients and provide the best care possible for them. I love being a part of the BrightStar Care team and look forward to providing excellent care to you.   Sara is relatively new to BrightStar but has a wealth of experience in home health, hospice and infusion care.  She is a welcome addition to our team, never showing a bit of stress or negativity.  Just a ray of sunshine. - Jim, Owner

Sarah is a very smart and knowledgeable nurse. She works very long days seeing patients through the late evening hours to accommodate their needs. She is always willing to help out, regardless if it is her on call weekend or not. If she does not have obligations already she will be there in a heartbeat to help out even if it’s working as a field nurse covering a call off.  She is thorough and patient with a heart of gold. - Office Staff Member

Sarah cares so much about her clients and goes above and beyond to meet her client’s needs. She is compassionate and caring. We're so glad she's part of our team! - Office Staff Member

   

Thank You to ALL of our Nurses!