Caregiver Award Winners

(Pictured:  Laura Graham, Community Outreach, Tetrick Funeral Services and Nicki Crossman, RN at Ballad Hospice )

NICKI CROSSMAN, RN with Ballad Hospice, Johnson City, TN is the winner of the February 2021, Hospice Caregiver Award given by Tetrick Funeral Home, Tetrick Funeral Services, Appalachian Funeral Home & Cremation Services, and Woodall-Anderson & Dugger Funeral Home & Cremation Services

Nicki was nominated by Crystal Chatman, RN who had the following to say about Nicki:

Nicki is the Patient Care Manager for Tennessee operations for Ballad Hospice.  She was tasked to coordinate a referral on a 3month old infant.  The child was born in Kentucky but his father lives in Tennessee and could not relocate due to work.  The mother wanted to get to Tennessee so they could all be together as the prognosis for the child was not long.

This was a special circumstance based on the patient’s age alone.  To make it even more challenging, he required some special equipment that isn’t typically used in hospice and isn’t used in this area.  Nicki spent countless hours on the telephone utilizing contacts through various equipment companies and was able to secure the equipment needed.  She didn’t stop there.  She knew that the nurse caring for the child would need training on the equipment.  She arranged the training before the child came to Tennessee to make sure nothing was amiss when he arrived.  She coordinated with the previous hospice nurse of the child to communicate with the nurse here to close the loop on any questions that might arise in caring for him.

Nicki has a million responsibilities on a day to day basis with 60-80 patients and staff.  She went above and beyond to make this happen when the initial answer was NO.   She not only did her job but she showed a tremendous amount of care and compassion to this family in coordinating the transfer to enable their family to be together. 

Thank you for your dedication and excellence in taking care of your patients and their families, Nicki!  This family will never forget the extraordinary efforts you went to for them to be together during this stressful time.  You are the Best of the Best!