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What does it take to be a
hero?
Not bravery in combat. Not a
battle to the death with a mythological monster. Not a leap from a plane, a dive
into a freezing river, or a sprint into a burning building. It doesn’t take that
much. Not quite.
But it takes a lot. It takes an enormous expenditure of time and dedicated effort. It takes study, focus, and commitment to achieving results. In the broad realm of health care, it takes empathy and imagination—the ability to put oneself in the place of the afflicted—and a determination to deliver improvement.
Every day, a Minnesota health care professional saves a life, eases a patient’s pain, advances knowledge of a debilitating disease, passes a milestone in the development of a treatment or life-enhancing device, and earns the admiration of those close enough and astute enough to recognize the significance of their accomplishments .
Every day, the lives of strangers are made better by those professionals, and the definition of what it means to be a hero is expanded.
This month, Twin Cities Business and Medica join in honoring eight of Minnesota’s outstanding contributors to the quality of health care in our state. The honorees were screened from dozens of nominees, divided into professional categories, and selected by a panel of thoughtful and informed judges who are identified in this publication.
See what the honorees have done and continue to do. You will be impressed by every one of the judges’ choices. You will see why they deserve to be called heroes.
Administrative Excellence
Steve Vincent & Jim Forsting, Directors of Behavior Health Services, St. Cloud Hospital
Nurse
Barbara Unger, R.N., Director of Cardiac Emergency Program, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis Heart Institute
