The Caregiver of the Month award recognizes a caregiver nominated by their peers for their exemplary work.
Brooksville, FL (February 22, 2022) — Oak Hill Hospital recently recognized Heather McLeod, Registered Nurse (RN), as its Caregiver of the Month for January 2022. McLeod was nominated by her peers for putting purpose above task in the way she cares for her patients.
McLeod was born and raised in Brooksville earning Top Honors from Central High School. She graduated from nursing school in May 2021 from Pasco-Hernando State College. Prior to earning her RN degree, she spent 12 years as a certified medical assistant in various specialty practices, including OB/GYN, cardiology, urology, and primary care.
“After high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do in life. I knew that I wanted to help people in some way, so I went to school to be a medical assistant,” McLeod said.
While working in medical offices, McLeod was responsible for OSHA and MSDS compliance, and patient safety became an important part of her job. That experience inspired her to go back to school in 2016 and earn a Bachelors of Applied Science degree in Healthcare Management, with hopes of becoming a hospital patient safety director. After learning that this would require an RN degree, McLeod considered applying for nursing school.
“At the same time, my dad suffered a severe heart attack,” she explained. “During his two-week stay in the Intensive Care Unit at Oak Hill Hospital, I saw how amazing the nurses were: caring, empathetic, compassionate. In 2019, I applied for the RN program at PHSC and was accepted.”
McLeod was hired as a student nurse at Oak Hill Hospital in March 2021. She completed the program in 2021, despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, and was then accepted into the StaRN program in Neuro/Tele working in the Progressive Care COVID Unit in August 2021.
McLeod says her empathy drives the ‘why’ behind the care she provides every day for her patients.
“I can feel the emotional roller coaster my patients are going through, and if I can make at least part of their stay better to help aid in their healing process, then I know I have done my job,” McLeod said. “Working in the COVID unit, you care for patients who are in isolation, away from friends and family. I want to make them feel more comfortable, show compassion, and keep them positive, which helps their body heal.
McLeod’s ultimate goal is to become a cardiovascular intensive care nurse or cardiovascular operating nurse and then a nurse practitioner.
When McLeod is not working, she finds ways to help people in need by being active in the community. This included serving as a volunteer cheerleading coach for the Boys and Girls Club Sharks Cheerleading, supporting Girl Scout Troop #24401, and sewing and donating more than 300 masks during the pandemic to help keep our community safe.
Visit the Oak Hill Hospital Newsroom for recent releases: www.OakHillHospital.com/About/Newsroom/
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About Oak Hill Hospital:
Oak Hill Hospital has been serving the Nature Coast since 1984 and is the largest private employer and largest hospital in Hernando and Citrus Counties with 350 beds. The facility offers Hernando County’s only comprehensive cardiovascular program, including an arrhythmia center and open-heart surgery. Oak Hill Hospital’s healthcare delivery team is comprised of more than 600 physicians, 1,800 associates, and over 100 volunteers.
Oak Hill Hospital is an accredited teaching hospital with approval to train 65 residents in the Internal Medicine residency program, 24 residents in the Family Medicine program, 18 residents in the General Surgery program integrated with Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, 18 residents in the Emergency Medicine program, 18 residents in the Anesthesiology program, 6 residents in the Podiatry program, 10 residents in the Transitional Year program, and two residents in the Geriatric Fellowship program.
The Maternity Suites at Oak Hill Hospital offers advanced labor and delivery capabilities in a comfortable and family centered setting and offers Level II NICU services. In addition to the Graduate Medical Education Program, Oak Hill Hospital offers several unique programs in the area, including a 24/7 critical care medicine program staffed by intensivists, a pediatric emergency department, and a dedicated Pediatric Inpatient Unit. Please visit our website for a comprehensive listing of all Oak Hill Hospital accreditations, awards, and distinctions.
The hospital is located at 11375 Cortez Boulevard, Brooksville, FL; 1.9 miles east of US 19 on State Road 50. For more information about this release, please contact Katie Stacy, Director of Communications and Community Engagement, at 352-597-6317. For more information about Oak Hill Hospital, visit OakHillHospital.com, or Like Us on Facebook.