10/20/2026
While serving in the Deer River Hospital Emergency Department, Spring Latimer goes above and beyond her daily responsibilities by also serving as a Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) Union Steward.
In this important role, Spring helps support and advocate for her fellow healthcare professionals, assists employees in understanding their workplace rights, promotes fair treatment, and helps ensure that the terms of the union agreement are upheld. Through communication, collaboration, and advocacy, union stewards play an important role in supporting the dedicated individuals who care for our community.
Her leadership team shared, “In her role as MNA Union Steward, she serves as a strong advocate for the nursing team while also acting as an important bridge between nurses and nurse leaders. Her role can place her in challenging and sometimes uncomfortable situations, but Spring handles them with professional fairness and integrity. She takes the time to help nurses understand the contract clearly, even when the answer may not be what they hoped to hear. When concerns need to be elevated, she follows the appropriate processes and advocates respectfully and effectively. Spring is a natural leader with a no-nonsense approach, excellent common sense, and the ability to speak plainly about difficult issues while keeping the focus on solutions.”
Healthcare takes a team, for her exceptional compassion and commitment, Spring has been named the Forward Health Foundation’s Essentia Employee of the Quarter for the 3rd Quarter of 2026.
Our community is fortunate to have exceptional healthcare professionals who make a difference in so many ways!
