JANESVILLE, Wis. — At Mercyhealth, care isn’t just a career for one Rock County family—it’s a calling that’s been passed down through three generations of women.
Laurie Finke, now the hospital system’s Chief Nursing Officer, grew up surrounded by compassion in action. Her grandmother, Doris Leeder, was the first to lead the way, working for 25 years in environmental services. She took pride in making sure every hospital room was spotless.
“She went across like every little surface,” Laurie said. “Just to see if everything was clean.”
Laurie’s mother, Kathy, continued the family tradition—spending 38 years as an ICU monitor technician. She kept a close eye on patients’ heart rhythms and was always there to support the nursing team.
“My mom had always encouraged me to be a nurse,” Laurie said.
And it worked. During one “Take Your Daughter to Work Day,” Laurie was hooked.
“She’d have me talk to all the nurses,” Laurie remembered. “Really trying to highlight, you know, the nursing career is a great career to get into.”
Today, Kathy is retired and helps care for Laurie’s young children. Meanwhile, Laurie has stepped into one of the top leadership roles at Mercyhealth.
“You know, I think that’s the best career that you can pick, because you’re always going to need people in health care,” Laurie said.
As Chief Nursing Officer, Laurie is helping modernize patient care by streamlining emergency response equipment and standardizing crash carts and medical bags.
“It doesn’t matter which clinic you walk into,” Laurie explained. “You know what that emergency response plan is, and you know what contents are in those emergency response kits.”
Her leadership style, though, goes beyond logistics. She’s known for listening to nurses and advocating for them in big and small ways.
“Truly, I mean, she advocates for us,” said Alicia Dominy, an OB-GYN registered nurse. “She’s a huge support.”“Truly, I mean, she advocates for us,” said Alicia Dominy, an OB-GYN registered nurse. “She’s a huge support.”
Laurie says standing up for her team just comes naturally.
“If they’re upset about something, I’m upset about something,” she said. “And I’m going to help them through resolving whatever struggle they have.”
For Laurie, nursing is more than a profession—it’s personal.
“I always kind of grew up with that value of health care and the people that are helping those that need that help at that moment in time,” she said.
And while Laurie leads the next generation of Mercyhealth nurses, she hopes that one day her daughter will carry on the family’s legacy of compassion.
