Kelly Haeckel

Happy Nursing Professional Development Week to all of our nursing professional development practitioners here at Middlesex Health! Your hard work and dedication are vital to our nurses' education and career development and your support is crucial to safe and efficient patient care. Recently, our nursing professional development practitioners held an operating room simulation to help educate nurses on proper evacuation procedures. Thank you for all that you do!

This week our Critical Care Unit hosted their annual CCU Summer Games. This was a week full of fun, educational and teambuilding games and activities, which included fresh made crepes for the opening ceremony, a donut eating competition, a wound identification game and an international food competition, amongst many others! Thank you to our nurse leaders, Torrey, Michelle and Nicole for your hard work on this event! It was a week enjoyed by all!

Ashley is our most recent Daisy Award winner here at Middlesex Health! Ashley was nominated by a patient's daughter who stated, "Ashley showed such compassion for our mother and did her job with such excellence. Every nurse is different and does their job in accordance with the guidelines of their position but sometimes you meet one that rises above the others and Ashley did. She treated my mom with love, honesty and compassion." Thank you, Ashley, for going above and beyond for this patient! Your kindness, empathy and expertise are inspiring! Congratulations on this well deserved award!

Middlesex Health hosted an awards ceremony and reception for our PCTs; including CCU techs, ED techs, OR techs, OB techs and home health aides. Our PCTs go above and beyond in their care of our patients. They are patient, understanding and sympathetic towards our patients' needs and they work hard to ensure they each receive the best possible care. Congratulations to the award winners and thank you to all of our PCTs for all that you do!

Congratulations to Jacey, Middlesex Health's most recent Daisy Award recipient! Jacey was nominated by a patient's wife. In her words: "Jacey is an exceptional nurse!! She is caring, compassionate and professional. But her compassion goes above the standard or norm. She cares about her patient, my husband, as a person first and patient second. She has been able to spend time with him, talking to him. He suffers from psychosis and dementia and she works to keep him calm. She initiated getting to know him and what kind of person who was before his disease took over his body and mind. She is respectful and goes above and beyond to make us both comfortable in an environment that is frightening to him." Thank you Jacey, for taking the time to get to know this patient and making him, and his wife, feel comfortable and seen during an incredibly difficult time. You have truly set the bar for exceptional nursing practice. Congratulations on this well deserved award!

Congratulations to our most recent Daisy Award winner, Brittany! Brittany was nominated by an out-of-state patient and her daughter-in-law. They were visiting Connecticut from Florida when the patient developed heart failure and needed to be admitted to the CCU. In the nominator's own words: "Brittany took such amazing care of our mother and in such a loving, friendly, compassionate way. Although Brittany was only our mother's nurse for two days, she showed what an ICU nurse can do for a very ill patient. Her love for her patients, and especially our mother, was truly appreciated by us. Thank you Brittany for everything you did!" Brittany, I thank you, as well, for going above and beyond for not only this patient, but every patient who comes through our doors. You have demonstrated exceptional compassion and nursing excellence. I am so proud to have you on our team!

Happy National Emergency Medical Services Week to all of our emergency services professionals here at Middlesex Health! From paramedics to EMTs, dispatchers to administrators, every member of the EMS team plays a vital role in saving lives and keeping our communities safe. Thank you for your unwavering commitment and selfless service. Whether it's providing critical care at the scene of an accident, responding to medical emergencies, or offering support and reassurance to those in need, EMS personnel are there, making a difference every day. Thank you for all that you do!

Congratulations to our most recent Daisy Award winner, Alexis! Alexis was nominated by a patient who was admitted to the hospital. There was a lot of difficulty diagnosing this patient but Alexis was the one who, after reading the patient's monitors, determined there were pauses in his heartbeat. Alexis brought this to the cardiologist's attention and a pacemaker was put in right away. In this patient's own words, "Some may say that this action in this situation was part of normal procedure or policy but for me, it was none of this. It was a diligent approach of Alexis' sound character and medical training to come to some kind of clarity of the situation to ultimately bring my problem to a resolution. I would say, in the short term, Alexis saved my life." Thank you, Alexis, for your persistent work in delivering care to this patient. You were able to look at the situation from a different perspective and ultimately get this patient the care he needed. You are most deserving of this award and I am grateful to have you on our team! Congratulations!

Reflecting on last week's Nurses Week, I am in awe of each and every one of our nurses here at Middlesex Health! You have much to be proud of over the past year. Thank you to everyone who participated in our fun activities! From our annual celebration, to Spirit Week and our ice cream truck in honor of Magnet 6, I have truly enjoyed celebrating your incredible contributions, accomplishments and the profound impact you have on our community! Thank you!

In honor of achieving our 6th Magnet designation, Middlesex Health interviewed our nurses on what it means to be a Magnet nurse. We added in some amusing questions as well and their answers did not disappoint! I love seeing our nurses' sense of humor and positivity reflected in this video! Their unique personalities are what make all the difference in our patients' care!

Middlesex Nurses Meeting Third Draft

In celebration of Nurses Week, Middlesex Health invited all employees to participate in Spirit Week! From Crazy Sock Day to Team Spirit Day and Middlesex Strong Day, I really enjoyed seeing all of your creativity! Your fun attitude brought a smile to our patients' faces as well as mine!

Yesterday, Middlesex Health hosted a luncheon for our nurse leaders and a mentoring and succession planning event where nurses and staff could learn what it's like to be a nurse leader in various departments. They were able to ask questions one on one and design a plan to reach their goals. It was wonderful to see everyone at both of these events! Thank you to all who attended!

Yesterday, Middlesex Health hosted the 2024 Annual Nursing Celebration! It was a beautiful evening to celebrate all of our nurses' accomplishments over the past year, as well as our 6th Magnet designation! Congratulations to all of our award winners and thank you to all of you for your hard work and dedication over the past year!

Congratulations to our recent Daisy Award winner, Mariah! Mariah was nominated, along with Bobby, a PCT. The Daisy Award is a recognition program to celebrate registered nurses who demonstrate excellence in patient care but we wanted to honor Bobby for her exceptional care as well. Mariah and Bobby were nominated by a patient's wife. In her own words, "This was my husband's first significant illness and first ever hospital stay. Everything was foreign to him and he was frightened to say the least. Both Mariah and Bobby somehow calmed him, kindly educated him and reassured him that they would help him through his stay. They had a way of making him feel like he was their only patient when it was obviously clear they were busy. We quickly dubbed them 'The Dream Team.'" Congratulations, Mariah, on this well deserved award and thank you, Bobby, for your compassionate care! I admire both of you and am proud to have you on our Middlesex Health team!

Happy National Nurses Week to all of our incredible nurses here at Middlesex Health! We have a fun-filled and informative week planned for you all, including spirit week celebrations, educational sessions, a roving ice cream truck and of course, our Annual Nursing Celebration tomorrow afternoon! I look forward to celebrating with you all this week!

Next week kicks off National Nurses Week! We have so many fun things planned at Middlesex Health in honor of both Nurses Week and our 6th Magnet designation! I can't wait to celebrate with all of you!

I recently had the honor of presenting the scoreboard to the Haddam-Killingworth Little League that Middlesex Health so graciously sponsored. It was great to see all the kids and families celebrating the kick off to the season. Good luck to the entire Haddam-Killingworth Little League on their upcoming season! Go HK!!

Today is Administrative Professionals Day! Thank you to all of our dedicated and hard working administrative professionals here at Middlesex Health! Without you, the health system would not run as smoothly or as efficiently as it does. Thank you for all that you do!

Today is Doctors Day! Thank you to all of our wonderful doctors here at Middlesex Health! You provide the safest and highest-quality care to our patients each and every day and I appreciate your positive collaboration with Nursing, as well as the rest of the healthcare team! Thank you!

On Monday, March 25, Middlesex Health Shoreline Medical Center hosted a career day for students from local high schools. Students participated in hands-on sessions where they learned about different areas of the healthcare system such as nursing, emergency medical services (including volunteer ambulance and LifeStar), radiology, laboratory and many others! Thank you to our Middlesex Health employees who donated their time in mentoring and growing out future healthcare leaders!

March is Social Work Month! I'd like to take a moment to thank our incredible social workers here at Middlesex Health. Your dedication, compassion and hard work positively impact our patients' and their families' lives. I appreciate all that you do each and every day! Thank you!

Our most recent Daisy Award winners are MaryAnn, Jennifer and Susan! They were nominated as a group by a patient who came into our Interventional Psychiatry Department for treatment. This patient needed to begin electroconvulsive therapy and was very nervous. In the patient's own words: "I was terrified at the first treatment. MaryAnn held my hand the whole time and was very reassuring. I would not have had the procedure, or the ones following, without her holding my hand, looking in my eyes and reassuring me that I could do this. I asked MaryAnn, Jennifer and Susan endless questions, which they patiently answered. I feel like the three of them, as well as Dr. Sanchez-Torres, went so far above and beyond their jobs. They are my cheerleaders, celebrating when I feel well and encouraging me when I'm not. They are truly my heroes." I am so touched by this patient's heartfelt words. The compassion, empathy and kindness MaryAnn, Jennifer and Susan showed this patient is inspiring. I am in awe of each of you and I'm proud to have you as part of our team here at Middlesex Health. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor!

Today is Certified Nurses Day! Thank you to all of our certified nurses here at Middlesex Health for your dedication to nursing excellence. You help maintain the best patient care outcomes by earning the highest credentials in your specialty. Your knowledge and expertise are vital in the exceptional care of our patients. Thank you!

Today is Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day! Thank you to all of our dedicated and knowledgeable dietitians here at Middlesex Health! You have an invaluable impact on our patients’ health and wellbeing. Thank you for all that you do!

An incredible achievement from the Nurses at Middlesex Health!! This is not only a prestigious designation of excellence for our Nursing department but our entire Middlesex Health (MH) organization.
A 6x Magnet re-designation is 24 years of excellence and a distinguished honor recognizing excellence in patient care, nursing empowerment, autonomy and interdisciplinary collaboration.

I am so proud of the incredible work and care you all provide each day!!

Congratulations to our entire MH Team!!

Middlesex Health Celebrates 6th Consecutive Magnet Designation Middlesex Health is celebrating a 6th consecutive Magnet Designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Congratulations to our recent DAISY Award winner, Julia! Julia was nominated by a patient’s wife. The patient spent the better part of a week on South 7. The patient’s wife was filled with gratitude for Julia and felt she was very deserving of this award. In her own words: “Julia patiently answered all my questions, checking through his chart for any new information I might have missed or misunderstood. Julia also made an effort to make sure I was comfortable during the many hours I was there each day. Knowing that Julia was there to take care of my husband also made it easier for me to go home in the evening and get some much needed rest, for I could truly relax knowing he was in her capable hands, while trusting she'd call if there was a need to update me.”

Thank you, Julia, for going above and beyond for this patient and his wife. Your professionalism, empathy and kindness made all the difference to this family. I am so proud to have you as a member of our team here at Middlesex Health!

This week is Perianesthesia Nurse Awareness Week! Thank you to all of our wonderful perianesthesia nurses here at Middlesex Health! Your expertise, dedication and compassion pave the way for smooth procedures. Thank you for all of your hard work each and every day and for providing a safe and positive experience for all of our patients!

Congratulations to this year's Middlesex Health Nurse Residency Program graduates! Yesterday, we held a ceremony for our recent grads. Their hard work, diligence, and perseverance is inspiring. The skills and tools you have learned and honed during your residency will carry you to successful careers in nursing. I am proud of each and every one of you. Congratulations!