Case Management Nurse from Nova's Medical Management Team Receives 2024 Excellence in Health Care Award
Nikki O'Dierno was the only nurse among the 25 honorees
Nikki O’Dierno, a registered case management nurse from the medical management team at Nova Healthcare Administrators, Inc. received a 2024 Excellence in Health Care Award from Buffalo Business First. O’Dierno, one of 25 recipients, was honored at an awards dinner on June 13. She was the only nurse and individual nominated by a patient to receive the award, which recognizes the top men and women in the Western New York health care industry.
O’Dierno was nominated by a former patient she worked with as a case manager at Nova. O’Dierno helped the patient navigate a complicated pregnancy and medical care for her twins, one of whom had a rare disease, which required out-of-network treatment and emergency air medical transport. With the right research and data, O’Dierno was able to help get some of these services covered under the patient’s health plan.
“Nikki is professional, accountable, considerate and exceptionally helpful,” stated her nomination. “She never lost sight of what was important: me and my family’s health and mental wellness. The tears of relief I sobbed when she told me, excitedly, that [her health plan] had decided to cover the cost is a feeling I will never forget. That she had done the research and made the pitch in my defense to have an exception in took away the looming cloud of anyone in American Healthcare has: how am I ever going to pay for this? Often in the insurance process in my life I have felt like a cog in a wheel, forgotten and unimportant. Nikki time and time again took stress away from my experience so I could focus on what was important: being there for my babies during their very difficult, touch-and-go beginning of life. Thank you will never be enough, but I hope she recognizes the deep and lasting impact her service provides to her patients.”
O’Dierno has continued to grow her career at Nova and is now a program manager, clinical process and training, on Nova’s medical management team. Details about the Excellence in Health Care Awards can be found at https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2024/06/14/excellence-in-health-care-winners-2024.html.