From Infant Patient to Hospital Leadership

Paula Grieb, DNP, RN, has ties to ProMedica Toledo Hospital that started when she was just a baby in need of a high-risk procedure. Today, she’s the chief operating officer and chief nursing officer of ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital.

In honor of Toledo Hospital’s 150^th anniversary, Paula shares some of her personal and professional experiences with the hospital. Here’s her story, in her own words.

A Lifetime of Connections with Toledo Hospital

By Paula Grieb, DNP, RN

I love our Toledo Hospital! I always have and I always will. I was born here, my brother was born here, all three of my children were born here, and so was my grandson. All of my family members have been treated here over the years, and I come from a very big family! I have had my family members treated here for the most medically complex diagnosis as well as the easiest. Nothing is too big or small for this hospital to provide for my family. 

Toledo Hospital has been our family’s hospital of choice for decades. Long before I became a nurse and long before I was in any sort of leadership position. The connections for me and my family run deep. I am grateful for the clinical excellence, compassion and care provided by nurses, therapists, allied health professionals, support staff and physicians.  

But for me, the journey has been even more personal. A big part of the reason I became a nurse was related to my earliest experiences in this hospital. I was born with a heart murmur and the physicians believed I had a hole in my heart. When I was 2 years old, my family doctor and my cardiologist wanted me to have further testing to determine exactly what was going on. My cardiologist, Dr. Donald Nouse, wanted me to undergo a diagnostic cardiac catheterization. But at two years of age, in Toledo, Ohio, in the late 1960s, it was considered high risk! We didn’t even have the appropriately sized equipment to complete the procedure and had to wait for supplies to be ordered and delivered. 

Dr. Nouse was able to convince my mom to give permission for the procedure and she did. As Mom tells it, I was the first pediatric cardiac cath completed at Toledo Hospital. How cool is that??!! Thankfully all went well, and it was a simple murmur that required no intervention, just ongoing monitoring from a cardiologist. And the connections continue…

My cardiologist, Dr. Nouse, was a founding physician of Northwest Ohio Cardiology Consultants, which is now ProMedica Physicians Cardiology. I believe he was also instrumental in setting up the interventional cardiology program at Toledo Hospital and was very well connected to the development of our open-heart surgery program way back in the day. He was just the coolest guy! 

My cardiac care was provided by Dr. Nouse until I was 18 years old. I had annual or semi-annual check ups, blood work and EKGs for 16 years. I was a curious kid who asked questions all the time. Dr.  Nouse was patient with my endless questions, even when I am sure he was annoyed as heck with me. I wanted to know how everything worked, why we were doing the testing, what we were looking for, and how we were going to manage my condition. He and his staff were fabulous to me, and I will never forget them. That ongoing, long-term experience with Toledo Hospital, Dr. Nouse, and the entire team impacted me immensely! Thinking back, I am sure it us a big part of the reason I became a nurse. It’s all I ever wanted to be. There really was no other option for me!

I became a nurse in 1990 and have never looked back. Most of my bedside experience was in adult critical care. And ironically enough, Cardiac ICU was my absolute favorite then! In fact, my very first nursing director position was in the Cardiac ICU at Toledo Hospital. The connections continue…    

Over the years, I have been fortunate and blessed to work in many areas of nursing and leadership, including my current role within Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital. I have absolutely loved every minute I have spent in Ebeid Children’s Hospital. Nursing is a fabulous job that offers a great degree of flexibility and challenge. I know it has for me! And I know a good portion of my passion for nursing is because of the experiences I have had as a patient, family member, bedside nurse, and leader within Toledo Hospital.