Nurse recognized as nurse of the year at Advocate Health Care Condell Medical Center

LIBERTYVILLE – Leah Stein-Fredbeck is a registered nurse serving as an assistant clinical manager in the New Life Center at Advocate Condell Medical Center.

She was selected a 2024 Nurse of the Year for exemplary demonstration of Advocate Health Care’s core nursing values and unwavering delivery of best-in-class care.

“Advocate Health nurses are committed to delivering exceptional, evidence-based and equitable care for all,” Jane Dus, senior vice president, chief nursing officer of Advocate Health – Midwest Region, said in a news release. “It is a true honor to witness the remarkable impact they make in transforming lives through innovative and compassionate care every day.”

While studying nursing at Chamberlain University in Addison, Stein-Fredbeck found her passion for women’s health especially caring for birthing people. She has been with Advocate Condell for almost 11 years and in her current role she works to secure the best care for her patients.

“The beauty of nursing is no two days are really the same and the joy in it is you can always do something different because nursing is unlimited,” Stein-Fredbeck said in the release. “This Nurse of the Year award is humbling. It’s wonderful to read what my nominator wrote about me and to know that my peers think highly of me.”

Beyond her clinical skills, Stein-Fredbeck is known for her leadership on the unit and compassion for her patients.

“Leah is a leader among her peers. She serves as the chair of our housewide Shared Governance Council, helping to shape nursing practice and enhance clinical outcomes,” said Rachel Loberg, chief nursing officer at Advocate Condell. “Additionally, as co-chair of our Perinatal Bereavement Committee, Leah goes above and beyond to ensure that families experiencing this profound loss are supported through every stage of their grief.”

More than 1,200 nominations for the premier award were received on behalf of nurses across the patient care continuum. These frontline nurses represent diversity in their backgrounds and experiences, including honorees with decades of experience and others new to the profession yet already making an impact on their patients, colleagues and communities.

Nominations were submitted by clinicians and teammates and reviewed by peer committees for blinded judging according to each nominee’s passion for patient care, commitment to service, solution-oriented abilities and evidence-based practice.

Advocate Health Care is part of Advocate Health, which employs more than 42,000 nurses across the nation, including 29 acute care facilities and more than 450 sites of care in the Midwest.