Health & Fitness
Northwestern Grayslake Nurse Presented the Patriot Award by the U.S. Navy
Northwestern Grayslake nursing manager Wendy Callan, RN, was presented the Patriot Award today by the U.S. Navy in recognition for her support and encouragement of Lieutenant Commander Tabitha Eden, RN, a naval reservist and nurse at the Northwestern Grayslake Emergency Center who will be deployed next month to the Horn of Africa.
Eden nominated Callan for the Patriot Award, which recognizes supervisors and bosses nominated by a guardsman or reservist employee for support provided directly to the nominator. Northwestern Grayslake colleagues joined the two women for the ceremony in the Northwestern Grayslake Emergency Center today.
“Wendy has been completely supportive of my challenging schedule over the last year as I prepared for my deployment,” said Eden. “She always accommodated my training requirements and the last-minute schedule changes that sometimes happen.”
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“Although Wendy is very humble about how much she has helped me, having a supportive work environment was one less thing to cause stress in my life, which was hugely important to me this year,” said Eden.
Eden will be deployed in late February to the Horn of Africa. This is her first deployment since leaving active duty for the naval reserves in 2007 and her first deployment since having children; she and her husband have two boys ages 3 and 4. Her husband is also a veteran, having served in the Marine Corps, completing two tours in Iraq in 2003 and 2004 before they were married. Eden was also deployed to Kuwait in 2004 for six months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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“Tabitha is serving our country, so the least I could do is support her at work,” said Callan. “It is very emotional for all of us that Tabitha will be away from her husband and her boys, so we want to support her in any way possible.”
Eden has worked at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital since she left active duty and has served at both the Northwestern Lake Forest Emergency Department and Northwestern Grayslake Emergency Center.
For more information about Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, visit lfh.org.
