5 Questions for ...

Melissa Bown

Who are you?

I’m Melissa Bown of Broadalbin, a nurse practitioner and Saratoga Hospital’s manager of infection prevention. I’ve been a nurse for 20 years now. I’m married and I have two children.

What does your job entail?

With ongoing education, monitoring and prevention measures, I work to keep patients and employees from contracting hospital-acquired infections. Some of the measures we use are: emphasizing hand-washing; preventing the spread of respiratory conditions; adhering to best practices for centralline insertion and maintenance; disinfecting equipment and all room surfaces; and reinforcing prevention messages.

What satisfaction does this position give you?

I’m gratified by working with our employees and educating them on my passion and on why it’s important to prevent the spread of infection. It makes such a huge impact on patients’ health. My role in the facility is important and unique. We take infection control seriously for every patient and every procedure, every day. From our perspective, even one infection is one too many.

Did you always want to be a nurse?

I wanted to be a nurse ever since I was a little girl. I took care of everyone and everything. When my brother started kindergarten, I told my mother he was too little. I used to sing to our dog, Rosie O’Grady. And I kept giving away my toys. When I was in school, my dad encouraged me to become a nurse practitioner.

How do you and your family spend time together?

Our garage looks like a sporting goods store. We play volleyball, badminton and soccer, we downhill ski and we snowshoe. My husband runs triathlons, and my 72-year-old father-in-law is a marathon runner. We are a very active family.