Medline today announced the March honoree of its Works of Heart program is Heather Cousins, a patient care coordinator at Adena Health System who is well-loved and well-remembered by her patients. In a ceremony earlier this month, more than 20 of Heather’s co-workers and family came together to see her receive a certificate of recognition from Works of Heart, which celebrates healthcare workers who go above and beyond.

Cousins was selected among dozens of nominees because of her tireless dedication to improving access to quality care for all her patients. Cousins has been a licensed nurse for over 35 years and has worked for Adena Health System for more than 17 of those years.

“There are a lot of people who don’t have access to the healthcare that they desperately need,” Cousins said. “As a patient care coordinator, I remove barriers for patients so that they can get exceptional healthcare.”

Cousins was nominated for Works of Heart by her colleague Kyla Aftyka. When asked about her nomination, Aftyka said, “Heather’s job is not easy. It comes with many challenges, yet she always finds a way to help the patient. She has a lot of passion for what she does, and being around Heather makes you want to be a better person. That’s why I nominated her.”

Heather played a big role in helping Chillicothe resident Diana Muckler and her family care for her aunt who has moderate dementia. And when Muckler’s husband faced surgery, Cousins stepped in to offer extra help. She took time to help the family review her aunt’s long-term care policy, which was due the day after Muckler’s husband’s surgery.

“Knowing that we were stressed about my husband’s surgery, she made our lives so much easier,” Muckler said.

Nominate a deserving healthcare hero today