March of Dimes Nebraska/Western Iowa Chapter Awards Kaelee Stone Critical Care Nurse of the Year

Kaelee Stone, MHA, BSN, RN, and Blue Cottage of CannonDesign member, was named Critical Care Nurse of the Year by her regional March of Dimes chapter.

The award is for nurses in adult and pediatric ICU/CCU settings. Stone is an ICU nurse at CHI Health St. Elizabeth in Lincoln, Nebraska. In between working 12-hour shifts as an ICU nurse, she spends the rest of her work week with Blue Cottage of CannonDesign, consulting with health leaders on how best to plan and operate their facilities for the future. For most of 2020, she had been a witness to the COVID-19 pandemic within the St. Elizabeth ICU, and health organizations asking for ways their buildings can respond to the ebb and flow of the pandemic.

“Kaelee is very attentive and compassionate, paying attention to not only the patient’s medical needs, but also their spiritual and emotional needs because she believes in holistic healthcare,” noted her award nomination.

When Stone was younger, she watched her grandmother experience hospitalization for congestive heart failure and wanted to improve the care experience. Although she originally went to school for health administration, after six years she went back and got her nursing degree to be an ICU nurse. Stone brings her patient experience to her Blue Cottage work, where she advises healthcare system’s future operations and planning.

The March of Dimes presented Stone with the award virtually on Dec. 1. The presentation can be viewed here at the 11:25 mark.