Sabrina Braun

How long have you been in business: I have 18 years of experience in the healthcare industry, working as a dedicated and compassionate nurse.

Business: Chief Nursing Executive and Doctor of Nursing Practice. This role is a nice blend of leadership, management, and clinical expertise to ensure the smooth operations of the hospital as a whole, with the ultimate goal of providing optimal patient care. Most memorable times thus far: I found a letter dated October 22, 1971 to the Ocala Star-Banner from Dr. Thomas Frist, founder of Hospital Corporation of America. This letter was impactful because he promised to build a hospital as quickly as possible to relieve the critical bed shortage for the community. It is one of the first 36 hospitals in our company. Now, in 2023 we continue to face those shortages and we continue to deliver on that promise; we have expanded now to two campuses: HCA Florida Ocala Hospital (323 beds) and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital (222 beds), with three Freestanding Emergency departments and building more to meet those community needs. Most difficult times & how you learned to overcome them: As a nursing leader, the COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges in healthcare. The magnitude and complexity of the situation required quick thinking, adaptability, and strong leadership to ensure the safety and well-being of patients, staff, and the community. One of the most difficult times during the pandemic was when the hospital faced a surge, which put pressure on our healthcare system. Stretching resources to their limits, I had to guide our team through this crisis.

Overcoming: Ensured my team had the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect themselves and provide safe care to patients. Encouraged open and transparent communication, creating a safe space for my team to share their challenges, fears, and suggestions. Provide emotional support to my team. Collaborated with other healthcare community members. Prioritized self-care and encouraged my team to do the same. Overcoming the difficulties during the pandemic required flexibility, adaptability, and resilience. Through effective leadership, collaboration, and prioritizing the well-being of my team, we were able to navigate through crises. We provided quality care to our patients, and supported each other through the most challenging times.

Favorite Charitable cause /causes

How they made a change for /an impact on your business and life: One of my favorite charitable causes each year is partnering with the local high schools in Marion County and our clinical nurse coordinators hospital practice council to collect and donate food for the food banks. Our initiative and partnership for this charitable cause addresses a pressing social issue while empowering and educating our youth.

Most exciting place/places you have traveled and why: Scotland is the most exhilarating place. Its breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and warm hospitality leave a lasting impression. From the majestic peaks of the Scottish Highlands to the mysterious lochs and dramatic coastlines, the natural beauty of Scotland is unparalleled and the warmth and friendliness of the Scottish people are second to none.

Your Motto in business/life: “Patients First, Employees Always: Commitment to Compassionate Care and Supportive Work Culture.”

Most important goal for your business: The most important goal is to ensure the provision of high-quality, safe, and patient-centered care. This is an overarching goal encompassing several key components: patient safety, delivering care that meets and exceeds established standards for quality, patient-centered care, workforce development, financial stewardship and health equality. Achieving these goals requires leadership, collaboration and commitment to continuous improvement in the delivery of healthcare services.

What matters most in your business/ life: Mobilizing excellence, empowering teams and transforming lives. I served in the United States Marine Corps and learned many valuable leadership traits. I understand the value of teamwork and collaboration in healthcare. Healthcare and Nursing is not just a business, but a calling to make a positive impact on the lives of patients, families and communities.

Favorite things about Ocala/Marion County: It is a desirable place to raise a family. Quality schools, outdoor recreational opportunities, affordable cost of living, access to healthcare, family-oriented activities, and friendly community. I enjoy the laid-back, small-town atmosphere, and relatively mild climate reminds me of back home in south Georgia, with its natural beauty. The downtown and square areas are peaceful, and my favorite event is Light Up Ocala, where the community gathers to light the downtown square with Christmas lights. The community comes alive in the most festive ways.

If you could change one thing in your business world what would it be: As a nursing leader, one thing I wish I could change in the nursing world is the widespread burnout and high levels of stress experienced by nursing professionals. Nursing can be a physically and emotionally demanding profession, and the fast-paced, highpressure nature of healthcare settings can take a toll on a nurses’ well-being.

Find nature's adventure just outside your door at Crystal River with access to the Gulf of Mexico. Only 40 minutes west of Ocala you can find a pristine get-away from all the hustle of life to create family-friendly memories.

Find nature's adventure just outside your door at Crystal River with access to the Gulf of Mexico. Only 40 minutes west of Ocala you can find a pristine get-away from all the hustle of life to create family-friendly memories.

Plantation on Crystal River features rare natural treats on the beautiful Nature Coast, making for a perfect day trip!

Plantation on Crystal River features rare natural treats on the beautiful Nature Coast, making for a perfect day trip!

Fine resort accommodations and golf villas

Fine resort accommodations and golf villas

27 holes of golf, Florida style

27 holes of golf, Florida style

Golf and social memberships

Golf and social memberships

Become a seasoned pro with lessons from our pro staff

Home to the original golf school

Become a seasoned pro with lessons from our pro staff

Home to the original golf school

World-class inshore, offshore, and freshwater fishing

49 different birds including bald eagles

World-class inshore, offshore, and freshwater fishing

49 different birds including bald eagles

Kayak the pristine waters of Crystal River

Dive and swim with the gentle manatees

Kayak the pristine waters of Crystal River

Snorkel for scallops during summers

Dive and swim with the gentle manatees

Tie your boat up outside your lodging or rent a boat on-site

Snorkel for scallops during summers

Pamper yourself at our premium spa

4 restaurants on the grounds, for drinks, dining, and fun

Tie your boat up outside your lodging or rent a boat on-site

Pamper yourself at our premium spa

12,000 sq. ft. of function space for weddings or meetings

4 restaurants on the grounds, for drinks, dining, and fun

12,000 sq. ft. of function space for weddings or meetings

Join us for our Mother's Day Grand Buffet

Sunday, May 14th, 2023 from 12:00 to 4:30 pm

Join us for our Mother's Day Grand Buffet

$51.95 for Adults and $25.95 for Children (3-10)

Sunday, May 14th, 2023 from 12:00 to 4:30 pm

Call (352)795-4211 ext. 88311 for reservations

$51.95 for Adults and $25.95 for Children (3-10)

Call (352)795-4211 ext. 88311 for reservations

Blah blah blah Let’s blah blah blah just blahrg blah Large blah talk blah blah blah blahrg before banning blahrr blah Larqe books in our blahrq blah Large blah blah blah classrooms.

BY TODD CARSTENN

In a previous life, I was a teacher, a high school English teacher. And so for 37 years, most of my days were spent with books. It would actually be more accurate to say that I spent those days with a classful of young people who also had books in their hands. I cherished those days. We read everything. Yes, of course Shakespeare, but not just because “well that’s what EVERYONE reads in English.” We read it because it was simply wonderful seeing young people discover the humanity in a King (Lear) or a prince (Hamlet) or in the daughter of a Venetian senator (Desdemona). My kids came to realize that they and these fictional characters experienced life in similar ways. Joy. Loss. Arrogance. Humility. Yes, the great Shakespeare wrote those tales, but to the teenagers in my class, the characters were downright human.

We also read “1984” and found out that two plus two could actually make five. We read “To Kill A Mockingbird” and discovered a little girl named Scout who could stand up to a mob of grown men. We read about Osip Mandelstam, a jailed Russian poet whose wife memorized all of his works so that when the Russian police came to burn them, his legacy could live on … and it did when she published them in 1970. We even read about Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout, who just could not take the garbage out. We read everything and anything. As a young teacher who turned into an old teacher, one thing I knew for certain: kids with books in their hands were just better off than kids without books in their hands.

I guess it is that love of books – and then being able to discuss the incredible ideas offered in those books – that got me thinking about the present-day climate in schools, relative to classroom libraries and school media centers. This is not the place to get political, but there is always room for a discussion of how we can help a student grow as a young person, inside and outside of class. And for this former English teacher, part of the answer is going to be through books.

Having said all of this, some of those books brought discomfort and angst and even some classroom disharmony. Some of this was caused by reaction to a character’s actions. How could Winston have been so gullible as to believe O’Brien? Why was Hamlet unable to act against his uncle when everyone in the theater knew Claudius was evil? I’m positive that versions of these reactions and more were acted out (pun intended) in English classrooms everywhere.

But other responses to the literature were sometimes deeper, more heartfelt, even profound. These happened most frequently when I was teaching a book that got my students out of their comfort zones. I never chose books for their shock value, but there is literature out there that I knew ahead of time would evince stronger responses. These would not just be the basic “what is the meaning of this character’s actions here?” The question might be an uncomfortable one: “Why are we even reading this book?”

I mentioned it before, but take Hamlet for example. How to explain the semi-cringey scene in Hamlet’s mother’s bedroom when he scolds her for marrying so quickly after his father’s death? THAT is uncomfortable and not easy to explain away in front of a group of teenagers. So I didn’t explain it away. Together we would stick with it and try to create some context for it, something that might make that scene make sense.

Sometimes this worked. Other times it didn’t. Other times, I’m honest enough to say, it failed miserably. But the kids through their discomfort and their angst were able to get to the core of how broken, how fragile

Hamlet was. Fragility is part of the human condition. Hamlet helped me reveal that.

In my 37 years in the classroom, I worked for 10 principals. On occasion a principal would ask me what I was teaching and why. I’ve always believed that English teachers are at our best when we are asked to defend what we teach. On such occasions, I realized my boss was not making a social visit; I realized that he or she had probably received a phone call from a concerned parent. So we would talk. The reason I bring this up, this talking about my rationale behind what I had decided to teach, is actually the word “talk” itself. A rational, tempered discussion between two professional educators. Then it was over. My principal “had my back” or whatever the terminology might have been then. I had never felt threatened or in trouble.

But speaking of feeling threatened or of being in trouble, I fear some of our teachers today are feeling both because of the books they have in their classroom libraries. These personal books, and of course the books that are part of the teacher’s curriculum, help to make up the sound track of the whole year in that class.

But there has to be trust between all the stakeholders who are affected by this soundtrack. The students. Their parents. Our teachers. Each school’s administrative team. It all seems simple, doesn’t it? All they have to do is talk civilly to each other.

The adults, all three groups of them, come to the classroom library conflict from different perspectives, but the ones affected the most acutely of course are the students. There has to be some middle ground here, an offramp that negates hurtful conflict.

I had a student-made poster in my classroom that was meaningful enough that it came home with me in my retirement. It says simply: “The aim of discussion should not be victory but progress.” The progress we all should be seeking is to help create young people who can think their way out of or past the obstacles that life will soon be confronting them with. A wide variety of books will help our kids take real steps towards that progress.

Finally, Ray Bradbury wrote me a letter (that is a story for another day!) in which he discussed a situation similar to the one we find ourselves in today … books being challenged and teachers’ intent being questioned. He said this: “You know this is true; if we allow the situation to continue we will raise a generation of people who can’t read and write.” I received that letter over two decades ago. I taught English for all those years because stories matter – to me and all those young people I was lucky enough to teach.

Books create worlds, some of which are like our own, some so foreign they challenge our imagination. Books allow kids to visit these worlds for a bit, and then return. It’s like that soundtrack I mentioned earlier. Let’s continue to invite as many kids as possible to listen along with us.