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Mission Viejo resident Louise Della Bella has a distinctive outlook on what it means to care. She believes that caring is defined through forming a friendship rather than simple acts of doing. Della Bella’s unique point of view has guided her through her pursuit of improving the quality of people’s lives. However, her attitude toward caring isn’t simply something she does during her spare time. It radiates through her job at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center where she cares for patients who suffer from physiological and psychological challenges.
Della Bella is being honored as the October recipient of Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Care Award. Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary, with locations in Santa Ana and Mission Viejo, created the recognition program in 2012 to pay tribute to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional care in their profession, community and the world at large.
“She not only exhibits her expertise in her everyday work, but Della Bella embodies the true meaning of caring through the dedication she provides to the hospital patients,” said Marla Noel, president of Fairhaven. “Della Bella epitomizes what it means to have a genuine caring heart.”
As executive director of clinical resources management and social services, Della Bella provides leadership for care coordination, utilization review and discharge planning for patients during their hospitalization. She goes as far as ensuring patients have the support and resources they need even after being released from the hospital. Della Bella also collaborates closely with the medical staff and community providers to provide patients with smooth and timely transitions of care. Her most recent initiative has been the organization of a community coalition for enhancing care transitions.
“The healthcare environment can be very complex. I want patients and their families to understand what their options are and where to acquire the right sources,” says Della Bella. “Most of these people don’t have someone to guide and help them, and I want to be that person that makes their day a little easier.”
Della Bella’s 14-year career at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center has helped her develop a passion for working with patients to support their quality of life and care continuity. As a graduate from UCLA’s School of Nursing with a Master’s Degree as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Cardiopulmonary Patient Care, patients of Della Bella are in caring and capable hands.
In addition to her passion for helping patients and families, the animal lover and owner of two Shetland Sheepdogs, spends her time studying the impact of pet therapy on patients, attending concerts, playing classical music on her piano and serves as a Eucharist minister at her church.
“Caring is more than simply demonstrating a behavior,” she says. “It’s about becoming in tune with someone’s needs and feelings and building a friendship to help them.”
She will be honored at Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Care Awards banquet in November at Fairhaven’s Mission Viejo location. The banquet honors a year’s worth of achievements among the local community.
About Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Care Award
Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Care Award pays tribute to Orange County individuals whose kindness and dedication to serving others is inspirational. These courageous individuals go above and beyond their job descriptions to serve with the utmost care and compassion. Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Care Award winners come from many fields including private care, hospice, social work, counseling, assisted living, nursing, therapy and volunteer work.
For more information and to nominate a deserving candidate, visit Fairhaven’s website: fairhavenmemorial.com/community/oliver-halsell-care-award or email CareAwards[.]FairhavenMemorial.com.
About Fairhaven
Founded in 1911 by Oliver Halsell to provide a peaceful and comforting place for families to honor their loved ones, Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary is Orange County’s most beautiful independently owned and operated full-service mortuary, crematory and cemetery. With the memorial park and mortuary in Central Orange County and an elegantly appointed mortuary in South Orange County, Fairhaven offers a wide range of pre-need and at-need services provided with care and compassion. Fairhaven is dedicated to celebrating the individual, providing services that are as unique and wide-ranging as the people they celebrate. Additional information is available at fairhavenmemorial.com.
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