Jennifer Martnick Honored Regionally and Nationally for Exemplary Work

​Jennifer Martnick, a Nurse Practitioner and Palliative Care Team Leader with Hospice of the Western Reserve’s Navigator program, is the recipient of the regional 2016 Superstar Award co-sponsored by Saint Luke’s Foundation and The Superstar Foundation. In addition, Martnick is one of only four recipients of a prestigious national Veronica Award. Veronica Award winners are selected from the pool of all local Superstar Award recipients from across the United States.

Both the regional and national awards recognize “the best direct service staff in the field who distinguish themselves and their work by using data to constantly adjust their service delivery approach while building transformational relationships with those being served.” 

“All I have ever wanted to do is to provide great care, to walk with patients and their families through a journey that not many get to participate in,” Martnick said. “Data is important in order to identify best practice, what is working and what needs improvement, and to ultimately improve the patient’s quality of life.”

Martnick manages Nurse Practitioners and Social Workers in the Western Reserve Navigator program, a non-hospice palliative care program specializing in providing care to people with advanced illness. The program uses a medical/social model of care. A dedicated team of Advanced Practice Nurses, Social Workers and Volunteers supports patients and families by providing symptom management, access to community resources, and assistance with discussions related to health care choices, reducing social isolation.

Her responsibilities include scheduling, conducting chart audits, developing practices and processes, monitoring service outcomes, reviewing literature for evidence-based practices and conducting educational sessions on palliative care and advanced serious illness management.

According to Joan Hanson, Director of Western Reserve Navigator, “Jen has no start or end to her day.  She is always available to her own caseload and to all 650 patients the palliative care program serves.  Jen’s ‘visit productivity,’ a metric she helped pioneer in the palliative care program, was 16 percent higher than that of her closest peer, resulting in more patient issues being raised and potentially resolved through her diligence.”

“Jennifer’s talents and commitment to caring really embody the qualities that we look for in a Superstar Award recipient,” said Anne. C. Goodman, President and CEO of Saint Luke’s Foundation. “We actively support this kind of work throughout our community. Jennifer’s accomplishments demonstrate its powerful impact.”