I can say with some certainty that it’s likely Adrienne had no idea what she was getting herself into when she joined the neuro-oncology team at Hoag. Not coming from an oncology background, it can be very intimidating to work with advanced brain tumor patients. However, Adrienne honed a skillset prior to Hoag that allowed her to flourish in our group. She came from a palliative care background and, at a very high level, understood the quality side when it comes to balancing the quantity versus quality equation as it relates to our patient interactions. She provides a balanced view and has a talent of looking at a difficult situation as a true patient advocate. Her calm tone and welcoming demeanor allows her to develop a strong rapport with patients and families facing some of the most difficult times of their lives. She is also an incredibly curious person — and it shows in the way she has gained mastery of some very complex aspects of caring for patients with brain tumors. She is a valuable member of our team, who steps up to get the job done and consistently goes above what is expected of her. Seeing how far Adrienne has come since joining our team and the incredible impact that she has made, I am proud to nominate her for this Healthcare Hero Award.