We’re Keeping It Local – Look for the Purple Scrubs!
Hospice of the Midwest is proud to serve the town of Carroll, Iowa and its surrounding communities. We are dedicated to providing exceptional in-home hospice care and pride ourselves on our local caregivers. We would love for the Carroll community to get to know our team better (although many of you might know some of these ladies), so please read on to learn more about Hospice of the Midwest caregiver, Brooke.
Meet Brooke Schiltz
Just down the road from Carroll, in Breda, Iowa, resides new member of the Hospice of the Midwest family, Brooke Schiltz. Despite being new to the hospice field, Brooke’s hospice heart and dedication to helping patients at the end of life is already prevalent.
Brooke comes from a long line of healthcare workers and knew her calling in the field as early as high school. After receiving her CNA certification, Brooke began her career in caring for others as a high schooler, working at a local nursing home for two years. After working at a hospital in Des Moines and with a nursing agency for most of her career, Brooke has made the transition to Hospice of the Midwest in order to be closer to home.
Eager to begin her hospice career and serve the Carroll area, Brooke has a passion for keeping patients comfortable during their last days and assisting in lessening their pain. After hearing her fellow coworker, Barbara’s, praises about the hospice field, Brooke is also ready to learn from her peers and gain experience through hospice.
Brooke would urge those seeking hospice services to choose Hospice of the Midwest because of the dedication our nurses demonstrate. She explains,
“Our nurses will sit down and spend time with their patients, even after all their required tasks are finished. They truly care about the patients’ life experiences and always do more than just the bare minimum.”
If you or anyone you know is in need of hospice services in the Carroll area, please contact Hospice of the Midwest at (641) 332-3006.
We would love to give a shout out to the Carroll Chamber of Commerce, as their beautiful building made a great spot to snap some photos of our employees! Their website offers fantastic resources regarding local events, shopping, businesses within the Carroll community, and more. Check it out!
We’re Keeping It Local – Look for the Purple Scrubs!
Hospice of the Midwest is proud to serve the town of Carroll, Iowa and its surrounding communities. We are dedicated to providing exceptional in-home hospice care and pride ourselves on our local caregivers. We would love for the Carroll community to get to know our team better (although many of you might know some of these ladies), so please read on to learn more about Hospice of the Midwest nurse, Joy.
Meet Joy Vannahme
Also born and raised in Carroll, Joy Vannohme understands more than anyone that in a tight-knit community you care for one another and show respect for your fellow community members who treat each other like family. Through working with Hospice of the Midwest, Joy is able to give back to her community in the most caring of ways.
“It is a privilege to be able to educate patients and their families and to act as a stronghold for them; whether that being someone for them to cry on, hug, or just be near.”
Joy has been a nurse for two years and with Hospice of the Midwest as an RN Case Manager for one year now. She is dedicated to supporting both the patients and their families through what could be the hardest time of their lives. Offering this support allows Joy to ensure everyone is comfortable by knowing what each step of the process entails and what to expect.
“We have an amazing team. It’s not just because of how amazing our nurses are – we have massage, music therapy, and other services that go above and beyond for everybody. Even if it’s a weekend, I know I can call a social worker and she’ll give me the answer I indeed. We are a family. We are all dedicated to the patients on every level.”
If you or anyone you know is in need of hospice services in the Carroll area, please contact Hospice of the Midwest at (641) 332-3006.
We would love to give a shout out to the Carroll Chamber of Commerce, as their beautiful building made a great spot to snap some photos of our employees! Their website offers fantastic resources regarding local events, shopping, businesses within the Carroll community, and more. Check it out!
We’re Keeping It Local – Look for the Purple Scrubs!
Hospice of the Midwest is proud to serve the town of Carroll, Iowa and its surrounding communities. We are dedicated to providing exceptional in-home hospice care and pride ourselves on our local caregivers. We would love for the Carroll community to get to know our team better (although many of you might know some of these ladies), so please read on to learn more about Hospice of the Midwest nurse, Barbara.
Meet Barbara Jacobsen
Born and raised in Carroll, Iowa, Barbara Jacobsen is invested in her community and continues to serve her hometown as a nurse with Hospice of the Midwest. Since spending a little more than eight years in the nursing field, Barbara has truly found her passion in hospice nursing.
After working in long-term care as a CNA for nearly six years, Barbara made the decision to go back to nursing school; graduating just two years ago. With the areas of hospice or oncology catching her interest, Barbara ended up finding Hospice of the Midwest and says, “The rest is history.”
Barbara truly loves the one-on-one experiences she gets to have with her hospice patients. Instead of worrying about a multitude of patients at once, she cherishes the relationships she is able to develop with each of her patients, while being able to focus on only them in that moment.
“I think that because we truly focus on someone as a person and not as a disease process – that’s what makes us special here at Hospice of the Midwest. We not only focus on the medical needs of a patient, but we also take the time to get to know them.”
If you or anyone you know is in need of hospice services in the Carroll area, please contact Hospice of the Midwest at (641) 332-3006.
We would love to give a shout out to the Carroll Chamber of Commerce, as their beautiful building made a great spot to snap some photos of our employees! Their website offers fantastic resources regarding local events, shopping, businesses within the Carroll community, and more. Check it out!
Hospice of the Midwest is celebrating nurses during the Month of May! Meet Barbara and learn about her passion for nursing as she explains her “why.”
“I chose nursing simply because I love people, especially the geriatric community. I have a lot of prior experience with long-term care, and hospice always caught my eye when experiencing it in those settings. When I finally graduated nursing school, I knew I wanted to be a hospice nurse.A friend talked to me about this company, and I decided to give it a go. It is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Hospice is hard because you know your patient’s end result; however, you create a bond with them and their family that is indescribable, and still talk to many of the families. With hospice, you get a lot of one-on-one time with your patient, so you truly get to know them as a person. You aren’t supposed to become attached, but this is impossible. We are with these people at their most vulnerable times and guiding families through each step of the way, and attachments happen, on both ends. In most other nursing settings, you do not get the opportunity to create these bonds. I continue to thrive in this company because I have people around me who support and encourage. They give constructive criticism when necessary & help find solutions.”Hospice of the Midwest is celebrating nurses during the month of May! Meet Jane and learn about her passion for nursing as she explains her “why.”
“I was lucky enough to be the first LPN/HHA at Hospice of the Midwest in Johnston, IA. I had always done long-term care, and my affinity for the end of life was the reason I went back to Hospice from a Long-Term Care facility. I have been a nurse since 1979, retired from the field, and now work a day and a half in the Johnston office. I love this because I still get to see the staff who lovingly care for their Hospice patients.
I became a nurse as I wanted to make a difference one life at a time. I tell everyone when they say “Oh, Hospice would be so hard!”that I ALWAYS received more than I gave. You never can measure the gift of being invited into someone’s last days and hours. That issacred time, and an honor.
Each day, all our staff makes a difference, whether they realize it or not, and I am proud of the entire staff at Hospice of the Midwest!”
Susan Roussel in action!
Here at Hospice of the Midwest we’ve dedicated ourselves to helping others through our services and now think it is time to take a look into the culture and community that make up HOMW.
Meet Sue Roussel, she has long been with the newly named Hospice of the Midwest in Minnesota as an LPN! Before joining the team, Sue came to us with 24 wonderful years of experience in nursing, had recently taken up snowboarding, and had been on two mission trips to Haiti.
Since she joined the team back in June of 2016, Sue has grown and learned to have patience, flexibility, and extended compassion to families, co-workers, and management in need.
What does an average day look like to you?
My day begins work with no expectations, I am privileged to have scheduled between 4 to 6 clients in a day. My day is fluid due to backing up two exceptionally talented RN’s, our clients are the best and I try and give 100% to each client and family I serve.
But that isn’t all, one thing mentioned by Sue’s peers is her willingness to take on extra visits not only for patient care but to back up her team along with her positive can-do attitude; never once complaining or questioning!
What do you enjoy most about your work day?
My team is amazing, it truly feels like we have each other’s back. I am thankful for my fearless leaders, they have invested so much of their time to help me become the nurse I am today.
In your opinion, what are your biggest accomplishments – professional or personal?
My accomplishments include my strong faith starting in 1981, having an amazing husband of 42 years, being a proud mom of two sons, and one daughter-in-law who has gifted me with three amazing grandchildren. Also, having a career in nursing for 26 years, it is not a job it is a calling and I am one of the lucky ones who was able to respond to the call.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love golfing, walking, hiking, and I’m NOT afraid to go down water slides with my husband and NOT act our age.
Something to keep in mind, is this talented woman has dedicated many hours at Hospice of the Midwest over the years from covering long-periods of on call shifts, holidays to weekends.
What is something not a lot of people know about you?
I took up snowboarding at the age of 60 to be with my granddaughter on the slopes!
A couple last things to note, Sue is currently the longest nurse employee at Hospice of the Midwest and is graciously appreciated by her peers. In the end, it is clear Sue is a very dedicated to her family, career, and see’s this through with a fabulous sense of humor! Keep up the great work Sue, your efforts have not gone unnoticed!
