b'Observing them, side-by-side, its obvious that theres a connection between Carol and Emma Van Ham. After all, theyre grandmother and granddaughter, separated by a generation, but joined by love and genetics. The bond between the two has grown even deeper since Emma graduated in May from the University of New Hampshire with her Bachelor of Science and joined Carol as a nurse at CH.Our ImpactOver 55 years in just about every department on the nursing staff in her hometown hospital in Concord, Carol has GENERATIONS touched the lives of countless patients with her kind and empathetic careand shes not done yet. Today, Carol, who was always a caregiver, works weekends in the Infusion Center, administering IVs, blood transfusions, and hydration OF KINDNESS treatments, while spending weekdays in Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation. Despite her years of service, which began shortly after her 1967 graduation from Mary Fletcher School of Nursing at the University of Vermont, she shows no signs of slowing down. I cant get that satisfaction or happiness from anything else, says Carol, whose own grandmother was a midwife in Italy, so theyre going to be wheeling me out of here one way or another.Emma, a Bow resident who was born at CH, recalls that her interest in nursing began at age 12, when she was diagnosed with Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, which required a cardiac ablation. My experience with the nurses who took care of me was really positive, Emma shares. I remember thinking, This is something I could do.After working as a licensed nurse assistant in Concord during college and completing her senior immersion experience on the Respiratory Step Down Unit, Emma recently passed her National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) exam and now works in that same department. While the Van Hams do not work directly together, their parallel lives at CH make them both proud.Emma says shes learned a great deal by watching Carol and has taken to heart her advice to come in every day with a smile on your face, because a negative attitude wont help patients through difficult times. Carol also has advised her granddaughter to avoid making assumptions about patients, and to try to get to know them without preconceptions.Aside from their common careers in nursing, Carol and Emma share similar personality traits. Both are naturally drawn to helping people and both smile freely and exhibit joy. We even study the same way, Carol says, describing her granddaughter as kind and loving. Emma notes that her grandmother has been a model for that kindness and care, Carol Van Ham, RN and Emma Van Ham describing her as one of the most generous people I know.Everything she does is like watching myself all over again, Carol adds. Im proud beyond words. Shes going to make a wonderful nurse.Both Emma and Carol also speak highly of the supportive environment at CH, which has made Carol never want to look elsewhere. Grandmother and granddaughter note the collegial atmosphere, community-forward attitude, and patient-first mission that permeates everything they do. While Carol still has plenty of energy for her work, with no plans to retire, Emma also can see herself at CH for the foreseeable future, inspired by the path her grandmother has forged. Shes a good listener and takes her time with patients, Emma says. I look up to that. My goal is to help people in a career where I can also make a positive difference [like her].38 CONCORD HOSPITAL HEALTH SYSTEM |Best People'