Maryliz Melius has been in pediatric nursing at Memorial Healthcare System since 2006, with her most recent clinical role in oncology. “I loved the relationships I was able to form with cancer patients and families and how intimately we knew each other. We’re part of their lives during horrible, dark times, but that’s where you can have the most impact. I had one mom of a patient that passed away thank me for loving her child as much as she did.”

For the past two years, Melius has worked as a quality specialist developing processes that improve the lives of patients and fellow nurses. “Our focus is always on getting better. It’s a different kind of role I now have, more in the background than at the bedside, but it’s a great opportunity to make things easier for everyone.”

Known by some as “Quality Mary,” Melius has earned praise for bringing nursing expertise and prior management experience to the projects she works on, often with front-line staff through a shared governance model.