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| Erica Ouellette |
CARIBOU — Erica Ouellette, RN, CDE, manager of the Diabetes Education Program at Cary Medical Center, has been nominated for the 2015 Maine Hospital Association Caregiver of the Year Award.
This statewide award honors a caregiver from an MHA-member institution, who, on a daily basis, demonstrates extraordinary commitment to the delivery of care to patients and their families.
The 2015 winner is Clayton Bell, MD, a third-year resident in the Rural Track Residency Program at Rumford Hospital. The winner was announced at the Maine Hospital Association’s Summer Forum on June 17 in Rockport.
Each hospital CEO was allowed only one nominee, so being nominated truly is an honor, said MHA President Steven Michaud.
“All of the nominees demonstrated the superior quality of care given at Maine hospitals,” Michaud said. “It was a challenge to select just one award winner from the nominees.”
Michaud and a committee of past MHA chairs led by Immediate Past Chair Michelle Hood, president Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, selected the award recipient.
In nominating Ouellette for the Caregiver Award, Kris Doody, RN, CEO at Cary Medical Center said that the nurse has been a remarkable leader in diabetes and that she inspires others through her personal experience.
“Erica herself has Type 1 Diabetes,” Doody said. “She was diagnosed when she was a young girl and has lived with the disease ever since. Erica did not let diabetes slow her down but went on to become a registered nurse, diabetes educator and now co-directs Camp Adventure, a summer camp for children ages 12-17 with Type 1 Diabetes. She is truly a dedicated nurse and she has a real passion for her work.”
Ouellette’s nomination featured comments from parents of children who have diabetes and who have been treated in the diabetes program at Cary. One mother whose 6-year-old son was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, said that Ouellette is always there when you need her.
“Erica’s professionalism and quality of care are exemplary,” she said. “She has made above and beyond efforts to help us during this transition period and to help us set up a plan for my son. She goes beyond office hours and standard practices to make sure her patients and clients have the peace of mind that everyone needs. Whether it is a text of a phone call or office visit we are met with overwhelming positive and professional response. Erica is a perfect example of what a medical professional should strive to be. Care and comfort are the most important things to a client or patient and Erica has both in spades.”
Another adult patient with diabetes said that Erica is always available to respond to a crisis. She spoke of a recent example.
“Over a recent weekend I had the misfortune to have my diabetes sensor injector not work right. At close to $50 each I needed assistance to fix what I was doing wrong. I called Erica and she suggested a video chat and she was able to look at the product and determine it was more likely a defect and not something I was doing wrong. She put me in touch with the company and I was on my way to a replacement.”
In her work with diabetes Ouellette routinely interacts with the patient’s primary care physician and specialists. Dr. Mark Henderson, endocrinologist in Bangor who has been conducting a clinic at Cary Medical Center for a number of years said that he could not think of a more dedicated nurse.
“Seeing diabetic after diabetic patient and trying to cope with this chronic disease isn’t easy,” said Henderson. “Erica brings so much energy, compassion and kindness to her work that it is amazing. To think that she started at Camp Adventure as a young girl with Type 1 Diabetes and then she became a camp counselor, then a registered nurse and ultimately a diabetes nurse educator is a remarkable story.”
Carl Flynn, a family practice physician at Pines Health Services and medical director for the Diabetes Program at Cary had high praise for Ouellette.
“I’ve been director of the diabetes program at Cary for over 15 years,” said Flynn. “Erica has brought great energy to the program since becoming director. Her personal knowledge, being a patient herself, in addition to her clinical knowledge makes her an excellent teacher and role model to her patients. She always has a smile on her face and an infectious enthusiasm that creates an excellent positive teaching environment. I am so proud of her.”
Ouellette’s husband Keith, a police officer in Caribou, spoke of the many nights or early mornings that the phone will ring and it will be a patient or a parent struggling with a diabetes issue.
“Erica will take the call,” said Ouellette, “even if it means she could be on the phone for an hour or more to help the person resolve the problem. She just has a great way of relating to any and all of her patients.”
After working as a CNA and a rehab aide at an assisted living center, Erica earned her BSN at the University of Maine at Fort Kent. She also went on to become certified as a diabetes educator. In 2006 she came to work at Cary Medical Center on the Acute Care Unit. She later came to work in the Diabetes Program at the hospital and now serves as the program director. Key to her success with the program has been the technology that she been able to bring to the program including new implantable pumps, computer software programs and she has upgraded her technical skills to help manage this advancing technology.
Ouellette will be honored at an upcoming All Staff Forum at Cary Medical Center and will receive a special framed certificate recognizing her nomination.
