GRIT Award Winner 2024: Caitlin Norris

Caitlin Norris, Advocate

Caitlin Norris, RN, serves as the program coordinator for the C (RSHP) in Rochester, MN. Her role oversees a long list of projects, including:

- coordinating the everyday operations of the Mayo Clinic Student Health site at the Alternative Learning Center high school

- serving as a team lead for a county-wide school-based immunization program that vaccinates thousands of students each fall for influenza

- collaborating with Rochester Public Schools alongside the RSHP Medical Director. This includes a variety of efforts to improve communication between Mayo Clinic and RPS, all with a goal of optimizing student health and outcomes

On a personal level, as the new medical director for the RSHP, I am blown away by Caitlin’s advocacy. She consistently goes above and beyond –all in the name of improving student health. Her drive is evident in her day-to-day commitment, but also in a variety of small but powerful actions:  it’s driving to the clinic in her off hours to ensure vaccines are properly stored in case of power outage, making extra calls to ensure clinic availability for a high-risk family, or pioneering efforts to improve visibility and uptake at our school-based health center. She is a poster child for GRIT qualities—and inspires me to be the same.