Family ties in the ED | LMH Health | Lawrence, KS – LMH Health

Where do you see yourself in six months? All it took was that question from a friend to spark an idea in Bailey Shaffer. As the COVID pandemic wore on, she knew it was time for a change.

Id been working in healthcare for a number of years when COVID hit and everything changed. With six months under my belt as a post-surgical charge nurse, our unit made the shift to care exclusively for COVID patients, she said.

Bailey attended an onsite career fair at LMH Health in fall 2021 and interviewed with nursing directors from hospital. She was hired on the spot, joining the emergency department in December with a full-time position on the day shift. It didnt take long for Bailey to recognize that LMH Health is an exceptional place to work and shared that with everyone she knew.

Gilda Singleton was involved with healthcare for many years in a variety of capacities, both professional and personal. Shed worked in home health care, insurance, dental offices and was married to a firefighter. When caring for her parents as their health declined, her father urged Gilda to move higher.

He told me that I was meant to care for people, she shared. I took and earned my CNA license while caring for my parents who were both on hospice. Providing end-of-life care was the most difficult and rewarding thing Ive ever done.

That experience led Gilda to begin working in healthcare, starting with phlebotomy and eventually shifting to working with cardiac patients. She knew she was meant for this work, which also came with an added perk working on the same floor in the same hospital as her daughter, Bailey.

When Bailey fell in love with the LMH Health emergency department, its culture and her co-workers, it was only natural that she shared it with Gilda. She applied and accepted a position in the emergency department in February 2022. She works as a part-time technician assisting nurses, transporting patients, cleaning rooms and helping out in any way, shape or form she can.

Bailey told me how happy Id be working at LMH and I was ready for a change. Its been the best thing Ive ever done, besides having my three kids, she said. I feel like Im accomplishing something, so I give more and more because Im part of the team and want to provide outstanding care.

Bailey and Gilda both shared that while healthcare faces a number of challenges right now, the teamwork and camaraderie theyve experienced at LMH Health has been nothing short of amazing.

There was one weekend that we were pretty short-staffed. Jan Wiebe the ED director came in on her day off and sat with a patient who needed care, just so that we could have some extra help, Bailey explained.

Gilda enthusiastically agreed.

All of our management team does that our nursing manager Jen Lemus, everyone. The dynamics here are so awesome, she said. Its not your job, its not my job - its our job. If you dont have time to get into a room, youve got a team thats always ready to help. That makes a huge difference for patient care.

Both Bailey and Gilda continue to share their experiences to try and recruit others to LMH Health. One of Baileys former co-workers has made the jump and Gilda continues to urge her contacts to do the same.

Ive recruited one person and another one is talking about coming here. I recently went into a room with a patient and encountered someone Id previously worked with when I introduced myself, Gilda said.

And working at LMH Health provides another bonus Gildas working alongside Bailey once again.

We work together so well, being able to anticipate what each others going to do, she said. I cant imagine being anywhere else.

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Family ties in the ED | LMH Health | Lawrence, KS - LMH Health