We’re here to care: Spotlight on Leola (Lee) Martin

FARIBAULT, Minn. 6/20/2018 —Lee Martin, RN works in the Emergency Department at District One Hospital. In fact, she’s worked at District One Hospital for 52 years.

Prior to becoming a registered nurse, Martin was a licensed practical nurse (LPN) and worked in various departments throughout District One Hospital, including the Med-Surg Unit and Surgery.

“I’ve seen many changes in my 52 years of nursing,” says Martin. “The biggest differences are in the shorter length of stay for patients and the advancements in technology and medication.”

Martin attended and completed a one-year program, offered at Faribault School of Practical Nursing in the 1960s and began working at District One Hospital in 1966. After her son’s graduation, she started the process of becoming a registered nurse in the Inver Hills Nursing Program through Inver Hills Community College.

Advancements and change are all constant, but Martin insists, “one thing that hasn’t changed is patient care has been and should always remain the number one priority for caregivers.”

Martin is known for her constant devotion to always putting the patient first. When asked to share a fond memory, she explains that she had the opportunity to be at the bedside with a dying patient that did not have any family or friends to provide comfort. In that patient’s last moments, Martin provided a hand to hold.

Touch is a very powerful part of the healing process. Martin adds, “Touch is so important to people and to me…it shows I care.”

Martin’s co-workers and supervisor echo this sentiment. “She provides compassionate care to her patients and treats them as if they were her family members,” says Lynette Dickson, patient care manager, Surgery. “She connects with her patients on a level so they feel they are being cared for and safe…explains information to them on a level they can understand and makes them feel comfortable enough to ask questions.”

Dickson also adds that through the many years she’s been with District One Hospital, Martin has been involved with patients from birth to death and cares for them with the utmost respect. Plus, she’s helped mentor new nurses into the profession—supporting them to be successful. 

To learn more about happenings at District One Hospital, visit allinahealth.org/districtone, click on “About us” then “Newsroom.”

Allina Health Faribault Medical Center (formerly District One Hospital), a part of Allina Health, provides a broad range of inpatient and outpatient health care services to Faribault and the surrounding communities. The hospital is conveniently located adjacent to the Allina Health Faribault Clinic.

Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A not-for-profit health care system, Allina Health cares for patients from beginning to end-of-life through its 90+ clinics, 10 hospitals / 13 campuses, 15 retail pharmacies, and many specialty care centers and specialty medical services, home care, and emergency medical transportation services.

• District One Hospital campus map (PDF)