Nurse’s Exceptional Compassion Recognized with National Nurse of the Year Honor

BROOKFIELD, Wis. - Oct. 23, 2015 - PRLog -- A Community Care nurse who has a history of becoming the emotional support to those who are fighting sickness all alone has been named 2015 Nurse of the Year by the National PACE Association Nursing Consortium.

Rebecca Hille, a nurse at Community Care’s Vliet Center in Milwaukee, was awarded the NPA’s highest nursing honor Oct. 20 at an awards luncheon in Philadelphia where the national conference was held.

Hille provides care for frail older adults enrolled in the Medicare and Medicaid Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, which helps people meet their health care needs in the community instead of moving into a nursing home or other care facility.

The national award recognizes one nurse annually who provides and promotes the highest quality nursing care for frail elderly participants in PACE. Hille is the first Community Care nurse to receive the award.

Hille was honored in part for becoming the main support for a woman diagnosed with advanced cancer. The woman was relatively all alone without friends or family to turn to for support or help. Going above and beyond expectations, Hille helped the woman navigate the health care system, attended nearly every one of her medical appointments, helped her understand treatment options and was simply present for her during such an emotional and scary time.

“This woman is doing far better than expected in large part because Becky decided to take the time to truly care for her,” said Cathy Rapp, Community Care’s clinical services officer who nominated Hille. “Becky, through her never-ending compassion and dedication, touches members like this every day. She really is a nurse’s nurse – bright, exceptionally skilled, compassionate and committed.”

While Community Care is the only organization in Wisconsin to operate a PACE program, the program continues to grow nationally with more than 100 programs throughout the United States. The program matches older adults in need of long-term care and medical services with an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals who work together to ensure participants live safely, confidently and with dignity in the community.

For more information on Community Care, visit www.communitycareinc.org.