Stephen Lester, Legacy Awardee

The VNA of Texas Team nominated Steven and wrote:

“On behalf of the VNA Texas hospice clinical leadership team, I am submitting this Lifetime Achievement nomination for Stephen Lester. This is a posthumous nomination as Stephen, a VNA RN case manager, died unexpectedly on November 3, 2024. He worked up until the day that he died. Stephen was well respected and loved by his team during his time with VNA, a little over 6 years. He leaves a legacy, and his death is reminder to live each day to the fullest.

Steve seemed to do just that for VNA. First, Stephen was serious about his love for hospice patients and families. I met him on a patient visit when he was training for VNA. He accompanied another nurse, saw that the RN was afraid of the cat in the home, and put himself between the cat and the nurse the entire visit. It was this kind of respect and kindness that Stephen embodied in his work as an RN case manager. He also volunteered to help our team in other ways. He spoke at a zoom training about diversity. He contributed to Nurses Week in a video clip about why he became a nurse and his love of hospice care.

Stephen’s funeral program also featured his nursing career and accomplishments after he attended Louisiana State University: “he started working in the emergency room, which prompted him to go to CNA school. He enjoyed taking care of people so much that he soon entered LPN school and graduated with honors. After being an LPN for 2 years, he became an RN, where he was valedictorian.” In hospice we don’t always talk about “untimely death, and seeing pediatric patients also puts life span in a different perspective. While Stephen Lester’s lifetime achievement did not end in a Retirement party or years of longevity, we know that he did all that he could to pack a lifetime of caring and concern for others into his 47 years of life. Stephen was a spiritual man, nurse, and friend whose legacy will always be with the VNA Texas family. As his manager said “We will never replace Stephen on our team, we will all just strive to be as good as him”. Thank you for letting us recognize him with this nomination.”

Stephen’s immediate manager writes: “Working with Stephen as his clinical manager was easy. He knew his patients and their stories inside and out. he anticipated their needs and met them before they even needed to ask. he was the first to volunteer for the most challenging patients. He never let anyone go see a questionable patient by themselves, instead he would simply ask what time are you going because I’m going with you. In IDT (a room full of women) I could always judge if the conversation was going too far by looking at Stephen and seeing how big his smile was from under his baseball cap.”

His hospice team physician, Dr. Mary Anne Chacko, writes: “In my 10 year career, as an Internal Medicine Physician, I have worked with amazing nurses in the ER, ICU, nursing homes and hospice. Stephen Lester stands out among all of them. His knowledge base and experience were vast. If there was something he did not know, he was not afraid to find out so that he could provide the best quality care for the patients who were entrusted to him. He knew his patients and their families really well. He was firm but kind in all his dealings with them knowing that they were going through a difficult time. He was an amazing colleague, and it was an honor to work with him.”

Some additional testimonials from other managers about Stephen include these: “Even on the phone, Stephen’s servant heart shone through. Stephen was the most respectful well – spoken man I have ever met. Although Stephen was an RN case manager during the week, our afterhours team was blessed to have him volunteer to assist us on the weekends when we needed extra help. We were grateful for the assistance and support he provided to our team.” Another manager wrote this about Stephen: “He was a Man with great respect and compassion for others. He was ALWAYS a gentleman in conversation and actions. If he ever called me for help with system issues, he would ALWAYS end the call with “Thank you Ms. Sonya!” His presence will forever be missed and thought of within the VNA family.” She also notes that Stephen’s patients loved him and some of them came to his funeral.