Connie Cook, registered nurse, has been named care transition nurse at Lake Prince Woods retirement community in Suffolk.

The new position was created to assist patients who come to Lake Prince Woods as short-term rehab patients, skilled-nursing residents or to the assisted living or memory care centers. The transition care nurse also serves as a liaison with hospital discharge planners and physician offices.

Cook, a 2014 graduate of Paul D. Camp Community College’s nursing program, worked at Lake Prince Woods previously, and it was through that experience she decided to attend nursing school.

“My first thoughts about nursing probably happened several years ago when my dad was seriously ill in the hospital, and I saw what great care the nurses gave not only to him but to my mother,” she said in a press release announcing her appointment.

“While working at Lake Prince Woods and talking with the nursing staff, I made the decision to get my R.N. degree.”

Cook’s leadership skills were honed in the Navy, where she served 20 years, retiring as a chief petty officer in 2009.

“I feel like I’ve come full circle,” Cook said. “It was a natural fit for me to come back to Lake Prince Woods to practice my nursing skills.”

Lake Prince Woods is a residential retirement community offering an array of lifestyle choices.