Amy Schrader, Nurse Case Manager at Zusman Hospice
Over the years that we have been working closely with our hospice partners, we have seen how hospice teams seem so much like work families. They come together to serve the patients with all the skills and talents that each discipline can uniquely provide. Not just for the patients, but for the families as well.
And don’t forget the support they provide to each other. I have witnessed so few industries where such cooperation and support unite in a way that is so compassionate on so many different levels.
The following nomination is an exemplary example of that amazing teamwork.
Amy was nominated by Rabbi Debbie Lefton and here is what she had to say about Amy (and more):
Amy is a NCM with Zusman Hospice. She always leads her patient care with her compassionate heart and nursing expertise. Amy goes above and beyond to make sure her patients have the care they deserve. She meets the patient and family where they need her to be. Amy is talented at seeing the full picture and advocates always for the needs of the patients. Amy is kind, present, provides full and detailed care. Amy communicates with the team and serves the whole family. This past weekend during the snowstorm, January 2026, Amy went above and beyond for a terminally ill man at the end of life. The family had cultural differences, spoke another language (Russian), had religious beliefs that were unique to the Jewish faith, and the man is a Holocaust survivor. The family, elderly themselves, were trying to do their best to care for their father. However, the patient needed much more than the family was physically and emotionally able to give. The patient was in great pain and was not being medicated properly. Amy realized that the home environment was not providing dignity or care in the way the family intended. Amy spent many hours navigating difficult circumstances to have the patient cared for in an inpatient setting. With the storm, he could not be transferred. Amy made sure coverage was available to care for him by herself and our team members. Robert Fish, on-call nurse, should be co-awarded the caregiver award with Amy. They spent hours and hours caring for the patient at the end of life themselves, coordinated with team members, the facility for care, and the medical transportation companies. Amy had the most difficult conversation with family and had a plan in place. When a terminally ill son came to town directly following the storm to be with the dad actively dying, he tried to undo all the hard work, personal care, and decisions the team and family had made. The son happened to not respect the voice of a female nurse (Amy). Amy carefully navigated the unsafe situation and got the patient to a safe place for care. Amy is a rock star, followed the patient to the facility, made sure the team was educated on patient and family needs, helped set up his room and so on. Robert Fish went after hours in the middle of the night to change the patient because the family was unable to clean him up. These two dedicated nurses are Hospice Heroes! Please consider a dual award for Amy and Robert Fish, weekend on-call night nurse. Their teamwork saved a man from dying without dignity, in pain, and without care during the worst snowstorm Columbus has seen since 2008. They are truly dedicated to the work they do!
Congratulations, Amy (and Bob). You exemplify what it means to be a hospice caregiver.