Karen Muth - Southview Medical Center

Karen Muth exemplifies exceptional caring and patient advocacy, especially through the acute pain program that she helped develop at the Hand and Orthopedic Center of Excellence (HOCE) at Southview Medical Center. Along with doctors from Southview, Karen traveled to Cleveland Clinic to observe and gain wisdom of the Clinic’s acute pain program. Utilizing the knowledge and skills acquired during her visit, she helped implement the acute pain program at the HOCE. With her involvement and dedication, the pain program provides post-surgical pain control, reduces or eliminates the need for narcotics, and improves patient outcomes. The compassion and caring doesn’t end when the patient is dismissed to home: Karen instructs them to contact her 24 hours a day with any concerns or questions they have. Her middle-of-the-night calls from patients have provided support and allayed patient concerns. Colleagues consider Karen a natural leader and great communicator as she balances the many demands of leadership with ease. Karen’s response to that praise? “I don’t think that I could ever do anything but nursing.”