No School May 24-27, 2024
DURHAM – The Oyster River Cooperative School District is pleased to announce that Oyster River Middle School Nurse Michael Hope has been named as a New Hampshire Healthcare Hero runner-up for the Seacoast Region.
The New Hampshire Healthcare Heroes program has been honoring healthcare workers who excel in their roles since late 2020. Each year, healthcare providers nominate those they believe have inspiring stories that should be shared with the community. The New Hampshire Healthcare Heroes board of volunteers reviews the nominations and selects one winner and two runners-up from seven regions in the state.
Hope received word of his recognition on Nov. 17, and wishes to congratulate all Healthcare Heroes winners and runners-up.
Cheryl Thibodeau, Hope's school nurse colleague, nominated him for his ability to go above and beyond in connecting with students.
"He treats all our middle school students with such love and kindness. Mike takes on the role of a father figure for many of our students and they are his 'go to' person when they need any sort of advice. He has a particular passion for our special needs students and finds any way that he can to help them feel included. Michael will learn about a new hobby or sport so that he has something to talk about with the kids. When he started working here, many of our students liked to play video games. this inspired him to start gaming so that he could talk about it with the kids. Michael is a stand-up human being and an incredible school nurse! There is no one more deserving of this honor!”
Hope's caring demeanor and determination to improve the wellbeing of his students is what contributed to his recognition.
"It's so well deserved! Mike exhibits a high level of compassion, integrity, and overall love for students and the colleagues he works with each day. He has an incredible way of connecting with our students, making them comfortable and heard," said Director of Student Services Catherine Plourde. "The team he and his colleagues have created in the nursing office at the Oyster River Middle School is impressive!"
To learn more about the New Hampshire Healthcare Heroes program and this year's awardees, visit https://www.nhhealthcareheroes.org.