Year Four Heroes
The fourth National Heroes of the Year were announced and recognized in May 2003 at the Bayada Nurses Awards Weekend. The links below provide information on the National Heroes of the Year plus all the National and Division Heroes for the 2nd quarter 2002, the 3rd quarter 2002, the 4th quarter 2002. It is from these three quarters that eligible nominees for the fourth Heroes of the Year were chosen.

Fourth Annual National Heroes of the Year
By rising to the challenge of meeting our high standards for skilled, caring, and reliable home care, our national heroes represent all we can be proud of at Bayada Nurses. Their work epitomizes our noble purpose of helping people live with independence and dignity in the comfort of their own home, despite illness or disability. Having gained the respect of both their supervisors and their clients, we are excited to honor them with the recognition they deserve.

RN Category: Linda Wall, Charlotte (CHA) Office, Charlotte, NC
LPN Category: Barbara Mizialko, Willow Grove (WG) Office, Willow Grove, PA
HHA Category: Rose Lewis, Special Contracts (SC) Office, Philadelphia, PA

2nd Quarter 2002 National and Division Heroes
3rd Quarter 2002 National and Division Heroes
4th Quarter 2002 National and Division Heroes

Linda Wall, RN, is a Hero on the Home Front to her clients and supervisors alike because of her skill, caring and reliability. Her work on a difficult case provides many examples of her willingness to go the extra mile for her clients. When there were staffing problems due to some of the difficulties of the case, Linda did not hesitate to try and help in any way she could-working longer hours and even trying to recruit nurses from the hospital where she works part-time. On more than one occasion, she worked extra hours to help the client and family through difficult situations. For the client's monthly visits to a clinic, Linda helps make all the travel arrangements-even transporting the client's wheelchair in her own van so the client can be more comfortable during the appointment. When the client was discharged from the hospital two days before Christmas, it became obvious that nursing care would be needed. Even though Linda has requested several days off to be with her family, she agreed to make daily visits for at least four hours a day-hours that often stretched longer. According to Linda's Staff Supervisor Rachelle Flowers, "Linda is a hero in every sense of the word, and her selfless devotion and commitment to her client truly represents what Bayada Nurses is all about. She is definitely a hero on a mission...to provide the best skilled, caring and reliable nursing care that she can."

Barbara Mizialko, LPN, is a Hero on the Home Front to her clients and supervisors alike because of her skill, caring and reliability. Her dedication and willingness to go the extra mile for her clients has truly endeared her to her clients and the office staff. Perhaps the best testament to her positive impact on her clients' lives is this excerpt from a nomination form submitted by a client: "Barbara is not only a good nurse but also a good friend. She bends over backwards to be the sweetest human being on earth. Last week I had a garage sale. She stopped by on her own time to help out. She organized the sale, and I could have never done it without her. She moved items for sale from my home into the garage, where she organized, displayed and tagged them for sale. She is always outdoing herself. She treats me with the most delicious food. …I have two dogs, and she is so nice to them. When she arrives, the dogs run out to greet her. The dogs are hers more than mine! Barbara's not just gone the extra mile, but the extra light year!"

Rose Lewis, HHA, started work with Bayada Nurses in January 1978. Having worked more than 32,639 hours in 24 years is a great accomplishment. But even more impressive is Rose's simple values, strong work ethic, sensitive nature, and excellent skills. Described by a client's family as "a Florence Nightingale," Rose Lewis never misses work, rarely takes vacation, and acts as an "Everyday Hero" to the clients she serves. Office staff and contractors agree that Rose Lewis is "one of the best." For all these reasons, Rose Lewis truly deserves to be known as a Hero on the Home Front.