Team spotlight: Meet Maurina Brown, RN

Home is where your heart is, and Maurina Brown’s heart is in Morgan County.

For over 20 years, the registered nurse, leader and recent Values Leadership Award winner has committed to creating impactful experiences with her teams and for patients at IU Health Morgan.

“I have always felt like part of a large family here,” says Brown, pictured above and to the right. “I truly feel blessed.”

As a nurse, she’s been at the bedside of many fellow community members, building relationships and supporting them and their families.

One memorable interaction involved an emergency department patient who needed surgery. Brown took the time to build a connection with them and make them more comfortable during the surgical prep experience. She took that patient-centered focus one step further and arranged a surprise visit from Santa, whom the patient had mentioned they loved.

“That was the best look I think I have ever gotten from a patient,” she says. “It was priceless.”

As a leader, Brown’s a source of support and positivity for teams.

She’s led various units while supporting team members, patients and her community. She’s also guided teams through major milestones, including moving from paper to digital records and developing and designing new surgical service suites.

“Maurina is the type of leader who has the very best ‘can-do’ attitude,” says one of her Values Leadership Award nomination letters. “Everything Maurina does is through the lens of helping others, both within and outside of IU Health.”

This includes celebrating excellent team members and regularly nominating them for awards and recognitions. In fact, it was a huge role reversal for Brown when she received the Values Leadership Award for Professional Leader.

“The kind things said about me were so humbling and brought tears to my eyes,” she says. “I was just doing my job. I am just being me.”

Her nominators detail how Brown’s “just” being herself means so much to those around her.

“Maurina believes in the power and work of IU Health Morgan,” says one nominator. “She lives in the community and wants positive outcomes for her neighbors, family and friends. And her engagement with the community shows that she not only talks the talk but truly lives it out with compassion as she serves others.”