Naomi is a big-ideas nurse: She is able to think simultaneously about patient access, safety and comfort; efficiency of systems for staff; and the financial sustainability of care. This makes her a uniquely effective nurse leader, one who is constantly collaborating with colleagues and building consensus throughout the hospital. She makes things happen. In everything she does, she is inspired by her own mother’s nursing career.
Naomi’s deep clinical expertise and business acumen have enabled her to make diagnostic imaging more accessible to a larger number of patients. For example, she developed a unique way of managing patients who have devices like pacemakers, which would otherwise make them ineligible for magnetic resonance imaging—her innovation has meant that those patients can safely get the MRI scans that they need. She has also expanded after-hours imaging, to make it easier for patients to schedule appointments and to increase the organization’s capacity.
Naomi is always thinking about how things can be better for patients, which also means thinking about workflow for staff and the financial considerations for the organization overall. She revamped the technologist assistant role to make it more standardized, which in turn led to a shorter imaging time for patients and the ability to see more patients in the day. What that actually means for patients is that they are able to get their diagnostic imaging sooner—and when you’re waiting to find out if a lump is cancer, that makes an enormous difference. Naomi is a pioneer in bringing diagnostic radiology closer to the communities that need it, and her colleagues say she is a natural collaborator and thoughtful leader who builds trust everywhere she goes. Her motivation for all this complex work is her desire to make each person feel seen, heard and treated with kindness.