Inside Business Health Care Heroes 2024: Nichole Rice
Award: Advanced Care Provider
Nichole Rice, a board-certified physician assistant, is an integral part of the success of Chesapeake Regional Healthcare’s neurovascular program. She helped the system develop its stroke program that recently earned a Comprehensive Stroke Center designation, allowing the hospital to offer complex stroke services.
Rice, a Navy veteran, has been with Chesapeake Regional for over 20 years, including six with the neurosciences-neurovascular center. Her work caring for critically ill neurological patients in the emergency department led her to the opportunity to help develop the stroke program. During the past six years, Rice has worked alongside other clinicians, including Dr. John Baker, to build a successful neurovascular program. She is also working to develop a patient engagement program during stroke recovery.
Rice is known for her warmth and establishing rapport with patients, according to the nomination. She embraces every opportunity to be an educator and is an expert witness for health care litigation. She also volunteers at Eastern Virginia Medical School’s HOPES Free Clinic and Chesapeake Care Clinic.
Rice shared career insights with Inside Business.
Why do you do what you do? I believe that in life, no matter how hard you try to plan it with what you think you’re supposed to be doing, it will always take you in the direction of where you are meant to be. I am incredibly fortunate to have been led to a position in life that creates such fulfillment for me.
What keeps you motivated? The bravery, unwillingness to give up and intense courage that my patients and their families endure every day.
How do you cope with challenges? To always remember perception versus perspective. While you may be very passionate about what your interpretation of a challenge might be, you must always remember to put yourself in the shoes of others and try to understand their position and why.
What are you most proud of? Our neurovascular program and how it has given us the ability to offer life-saving procedures to our community.
How do you measure success? By whether or not I have made a positive difference in someone’s life — no matter how small or big that may be.
What lessons have you learned? Be humble. Be kind. Be grateful and cherish every moment of good health. Do not take for granted that the ones we love so dearly will always be there. Take every opportunity to show your love for them.
Any advice for those pursuing health care? One of the most important pieces of advice is to make sure you spend at least “a day in the life” of whatever field it is you want to go into. Now, like I mentioned before, where you start may not be where you end up, but regardless of what you choose, just make sure you have fun with it! You will spend the majority of your life at work. Make sure it’s something that puts a smile on your face, creates laughter and you absolutely enjoy doing it.
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