PUTNAM — Some things about behavioral health care are universally true, no matter the time or place: it’s critical to the community, it has the power to change lives, and it’s extremely hard work. There’s one more thing that’s held constant at Day Kimball Healthcare for the last ten years, and that’s Katherine Mackenzie, clinical nurse manager. Her colleagues have described her as strong, courageous and committed – the common thread and steady keel that has helped to grow and strengthen the department to what it is today. And that’s why they’ve voted her Day Kimball Healthcare’s Employee of the Month for June.

As clinical nurse manager of the Behavioral Health Inpatient Unit at Day Kimball Hospital, Kate (as her friends call her) is responsible for the management of patient care on the unit, leading and supporting staff to ensure effective and compassionate care. She also works closely with behavioral health crisis workers in the Emergency Department to facilitate prompt and coordinated care for those patients who require admission to the inpatient unit. And she serves as a behavioral health liaison to the rest of the hospital as well, building relationships and processes to enhance patient care.

A resident of Putnam, where she lives with her husband Chas and their three children, Kate has deep ties and a strong commitment to the Northeast Connecticut community. When her colleagues from across DKH gathered recently to celebrate her selection as Employee of the Month, that dedication shone through in her only comments, which were to thank her team instead of simply accepting congratulations for herself.

“Over all that time and through all that change she has stayed the path,” O’Keefe said, adding “she has kept the true vision of what our hospital and our community needed in behavioral health. [She brings] a certain way of helping others to understand what the changing needs are and how we can change and grow to better meet them. The fact that she understands the ins and outs of the Emergency Department and can help to bridge that gap from the ED to behavioral health services is also a rare gift, and I know our patients who come to us for help in crisis are better served because of it.” 

But President and CEO Robert Smanik perhaps summed it up best when he said, “With Kate, it really comes from the heart. In every community hospital I’ve been a part of, behavioral health is critical. It’s needed everywhere, but there are always many challenges and it takes a remarkable group of people to do this kind of work. It takes not only clinical expertise but also courage and commitment – and Kate delivers all of that with a smile on her face every single day. It’s truly a gift, and I couldn’t be more impressed.”