Erin Kindy, APRN
SICU/Surgical Services
Erin was nominated by Mary K. Kimbrough.
The UAMS SICU takes care of the some of the sickest and most injured surgical patients in the state of Arkansas, and Erin has been integral in the care of many, if not all, of these patients. We had a young patient with a devastating brain injury. Erin stayed late into the evening (well beyond her expected working hours) speaking with the patient’s wife about the patient’s injury and likely poor prognosis, as well as goals of care. She connected with the patient’s wife in a way none of the other team members had been able to do because she spent so much time with them and was so caring. She built excellent rapport with the patient’s wife and established trust between the patient’s family and the care team; we were able to have more meaningful goals of care conversations with the patient’s family after Erin met with them. Erin is the heart and soul of the SICU provider team and represents the very best of us here at UAMS.
The SICU team is multidisciplinary, with a constant flow of providers and learners of all disciplines coming and going day to day. Erin serves as the foundation and backbone of the team, providing much-needed continuity for the care of the SICU patients. She also importantly serves as a mentor and helps acclimate and educate the countless rotating residents, students, and fellows to the busy SICU team. I am not exaggerating when I say that I cannot express the amount of appreciation and admiration I have for Erin Kindy in a single letter. She is irreplaceable in terms of her clinical expertise, compassionate and patient-focused care, and effective teamwork and communication. She is clinically astute, and I trust her clinical judgement explicitly. To put it plainly, if I was admitted to the SICU, I would want Erin taking care of me.