It is with a heavy heart that we write to lift up our colleague and friend, Michelle Nickolaus, CRNP, FACC. She died on Oct. 3 at the age of 52 after treatment for neuroendocrine cancer. This is an opportunity to shine a light on her accomplishments with the ACC and in a life well-lived.

Michelle was born in Phoenixville, PA. She was the wife of Kevin Nickolaus, with whom she had just celebrated 28 years of marriage. She was the mother of two children, Matthew and John, who reside at home.

Michelle was a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University School of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science and practiced as a registered nurse from 1990-1997. In 1997, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing with a Master of Science in Nursing, with a certification as an Adult Critical Care Nurse Practitioner. Michelle worked for 24 years as a dedicated and passionate nurse practitioner in cardiology, specializing in adult congenital heart disease (ACHD), starting at Penn State Hershey Medical Center before moving to UPMC Williamsport, and, most recently, to Geisinger Medical Center.

She was a tireless advocate for her patients and was intent on providing quality care and necessary treatments for the ACHD population. She was instrumental in the development of the Adult Congenital Program at Penn State Hershey. She worked cooperatively with her physicians and support staff to develop and then streamline patient tracking for appointments, testing and follow up. She was a devoted care provider who left a lasting impression and befriended many of her patients, with many inquiring about Michelle after her departure from Penn State Hershey.

Michelle was a leader in promoting the profession and role of the advanced practice provider (APP). She was an original member of what is now Penn State Health's Advanced Practice Provider Council, recognizing early on that APPs needed their own voice and organizational structure for an effective practice model within the institution.

She took on active leadership roles at both the state and national levels with the ACC. An active member of the CV Team Member Section since joining the ACC, she served as the Pennsylvania Chapter's cardiac care associate liaison from 2004-2007. She was active in the Nurse Education Committee and Annual Scientific Sessions Planning Committees and involved in the Congenital Heart Disease/Pediatric Cardiology Committee and the Adult Congenital Working Group. She was part of the 2011 inaugural class of Associates of the American College of Cardiology (AACC). This past year, she was recognized for her contributions and work in cardiology and became an FACC.

Michelle was also a charter member of ACC's Digital Strategy Committee from 2013-2020 and an active member of the Digital Transformation Task Force. She provided input that shaped numerous ACC apps and websites, including many specific enhancements that were implemented on ACC.org. She actively supported the use of social media to support the ACC with a recent tweet: "What an amazing thing to see how far ACHD research has moved- so impressed with my colleagues...how far we have come and can continue to grow."

Michelle embraced the role of advocate for the adult congenital community and was an invited charter member of the Adult Congenital Research Group. She was a charter member in the Alliance for Adult Research in Congenital Cardiology Young Investigators and the International Adult Congenital Heart Disease Nursing Network.

During her nursing career, she was an active preceptor and mentor to students and peers. Michelle left a lasting impression to those in the medical communities at Penn State Health, UPMC and Geisinger as a smart and confident provider. She served as guest lecturer for graduate students at University of Pennsylvania and Penn State College of Medicine. She took an active part in research at Penn State Hershey and was a co-author in 15 peer-reviewed journal articles and was an invited speaker for multiple poster and podium presentations.

Michelle was a generator. She had visions and ideas and was always the supplemental energy source to any workday. I had the privilege to be a co-worker in heart & vascular. I soon learned that when she said, "I have an idea," we would be enlisted to be actively involved a project or plan. But her energy was contagious, and we wanted to be involved in her vision.

We worked as practitioners sharing a space that transitioned to friends who happened to work together. She was my generator to be an active clinician, to get involved with the ACC, and to expect the best and settle for nothing less. Michelle's tenacious character left its mark on many of us. She faced her illness in that manner. Despite her difficulties, she embraced her path with her family and chose to confidently enjoy life, driving an RV across the country, cheering for Penn State at Beaver Stadium, and sharing her laugh and smile until the end, settling for nothing less.

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This article was authored by Denise A. Rhodes, NP, AACC.

Clinical Topics: Cardiovascular Care Team, Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, Congenital Heart Disease

Keywords: Mentors, Social Media, Heart Defects, Congenital, Nurse Practitioners, Critical Care

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