Sam Steinbeck has charted a nursing career from the open skies as a flight nurse to the intensive care units on the ground. Despite the vastly different environments, his commitment to patient care and collaborative leadership have been essential to navigating both worlds.
"When you're up in the air, it's you, your partner and the patient," he said. "It's really kind of a beautiful moment when it's just the three of you there in that moment, all fighting together against time."
Sam's path to healthcare began with a defining family experience. When he was a freshman in high school, his father suffered from trigeminal neuralgia, a condition causing severe, continuous facial pain. "Once they finally figured out what it was, he had a neurosurgical procedure that allowed him to be completely pain-free for the first time in eight years."
The transformation in his father's life was profound. Sam vividly remembered the compassionate nurses caring for his father and was struck by how medical intervention could dramatically change someone's quality of life. While studying at Ohio State University, he would often see medical helicopters landing at the medical center. "That's when I said, you know, that's what I want to do. I want to be the best of the best critical care nurses, and I never looked back."
Sam spent 14 years as a critical care nurse, starting in ICUs and open heart recovery units, all with the goal of becoming a flight nurse. When that opportunity came, he spent six years providing critical care in the most challenging environment imaginable. "You have limited resources. You have just the two of you taking care of the patient, and they're usually critically ill or badly injured," he explained.
It was during his flight nursing career that Sam met his wife Meredith, who was also a flight nurse. Their shared commitment to critical care and understanding of the demands of flight medicine created a strong foundation for their relationship.
His first formal leadership role came when he managed a flight base, transitioning from peer to leader. "For me, it was about sharing my inspiration and passion for healthcare with those whom I was leading," he said.
Now, as an ICU manager at Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside, Sam is ensuring continuity of care by helping to open a “closed ICU,” a model that ensures patients receiving the most complex care have immediate access to intensivists around the clock, eliminating delays in critical decision-making and providing seamless, coordinated treatment for those who need it most.
Sam's leadership philosophy centers on remembering the human element in healthcare. "Our patients are more than just numbers. They're somebody's family member," he said. "For me, it always comes back to treating that person as if it's my family member."
His journey from a teenager watching his father's recovery to leading critical care teams demonstrates how personal experience can fuel professional passion. His leadership continues to make a significant difference at Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside, inspiring his team to remember their purpose and strive for excellence in every patient interaction.
