UnityPoint Health

What started as an after school job turned into a 50 year career for Theresa Miller. Moving to only two different departments in her five decades with UnityPoint Health, Theresa became an early leader. “I’m still kind of amazed,” she says. “I was very young but a hard worker and proved myself. I believe in that, myself and my staff.” She adds, “I’ve also had really great leaders through the years. They’re part of the reason I stayed and helped shape me as a leader.” Theresa says her favorite part about the UnityPoint Health culture is that she’s always felt like she could be herself. “I don’t have to put on a mask and be somebody I’m not. It allows me to bring things up that are important to me and have discussions. Our culture allows us to have open and honest dialogue." Fifty years holds a lifetime of milestones for anyone. For Theresa, she’s experienced births, deaths, weddings, break-ups and grandkids. She says her colleagues have been with her through everything. “My family within my four walls of UnityPoint Health have been part of it all. Those friendships helped me celebrate and get through hard times.” Through all the changes in the healthcare industry Theresa has witnessed (including typewriters to electronic payments), she says her purpose has never wavered. "It goes back to, no matter how big or small, I can make a difference. We never know when we’re going to be that person who makes a difference for someone else.” Join a team that cares for the long-haul: https://lnkd.in/enjJQFYK

Our Des Moines hospital recently donated 117 hospital beds to countries in need of them. The contribution is done in partnership with Matter NGO, an organization that distributes medical equipment to hospitals and clinics around the world. It's an honor to have resources that support patients outside of our communities, too. 💙 Many thanks to our facilities team for helping prep the beds and load the trucks for delivery!

Our people are amazing, and we’re honored to celebrate year 3️⃣ as a top place to work in health care. Becker's Healthcare chooses organizations that promote diversity, employee engagement, professional growth and work/life balance. We’re proud to be in such good company. https://lnkd.in/g9KvRV7Q

After 43 years of manual labor, Terry Brosius' back pain was unbearable. He'd gone through surgery years ago, but the pain returned and other treatments stopped working. As a single dad, Terry needed his life back. That's when Terry met UnityPoint Health Neurosurgeon Dr. Catherine Miller. Once a local to the area, Dr. Miller moved back in 2022 to provide this highly specialized service to patients like Terry. Images showed Terry's lower back had worn down to bone on bone, along with having significant arthritis and pinched nerves. “Terry is a great example of how the right surgery can change a person's life,” Dr. Miller said. “We always encourage patients to try conservative options first, such as therapies, medications or injections, but for some, surgery is the only option." Terry underwent a successful spinal fusion that's made it possible for him to do more things with his son and has improved his quality of life. To Wiley, Terry's 10-year-old son, his dad is now assembled like a hero from a comic book. Looking at the X-rays of his dad’s back, images that included a steel cage fusing his lower spine to his tailbone, all held together with rods and screws, Wiley said, “Dad, you’re like a superhero!” https://uph.link/2c10ba

UnityPoint Health volunteers spent their weekend out in the Quad Cities community raising awareness for Black men's health. The event was part of our Medicine in the Barbershop initiative, where Information about regular preventative screenings, diabetes and blood pressure checks are offered. Local barbers volunteer to support the event and give free haircuts, too. In an interview with local media station KWQC, barber Sherwin Q. Robinson Sr. said, "We’re trying to stop that narrative that we don’t go to the hospital, and we’re not concerned about our health. We want to be here longer, so we can live for not just ourselves, but our family as well. It’s also helpful that I can start showing by example that this is important, because if I’m doing it, my clients are doing it." Community members can use our easy search tool to find a doctor near them: https://lnkd.in/gsTayD4Z

"For someone like myself, I didn't want to go to college. You can find a really good job doing something like this that's behind the scenes." With so many ways to make a difference in health care, every position matters. Find out what our sterile processors do and why they love coming to work. Then, look through our job openings: https://lnkd.in/enjJQFYK

"During Women’s History Month, I reflect on my time at UnityPoint Health and the female leaders who encouraged me during my 16-year career journey. Their guidance has inspired my own leadership style, emphasizing empathy, inclusivity and honest communication. In 2017, when I stepped into a nurse manager role, I was only 29 years old. I experienced the imposter syndrome many women feel. I thought I wouldn’t be heard or taken seriously, especially because many of the people I was directing had worked in surgery much longer than I had. I battled with myself to prove I was enough. I overcame this feeling by fostering a work environment in which everyone feels they can share their ideas and be heard and valued. This gave me the confidence I needed to take the next step in my career, and I still lead with this philosophy today. I’m also a firm believer that mistakes are not faults, they're opportunities to learn. We work together to figure out how to move forward. I take immense pride in being a female leader. It's a passion and privilege to help my team develop and achieve their goals. I'm inspired every day by the work we do to provide top-of-the-line care to our patients. It fills my bucket to lead these efforts and be part of something amazing. If you’re a woman interested in a leadership position, shoot for the moon. You have the power to make a meaningful impact." Join a team where you can make a difference: https://lnkd.in/enjJQFYK #WomensHistoryMonth #FemaleLeaders Tressa Gill

You're only one click away from a rewarding career in caring, with amazing benefits in an amazing culture. Register now for our virtual event for RNs. ➡ https://uph.link/s59

Congrats, Tony! A lifetime of learning and changing lives is just around the corner for all of our new providers. We can’t wait to have you. 💙

"Until you’re a patient yourself, you don’t realize how much the little things stand out. Having a stroke changed my life. Sometimes I feel pain, but I’m alive. I get to go to work, use my brain and see my family every day. That's all I could ever ask for." One of our nursing practice specialists, Kim Zielke spent years educating on the signs of stroke. "It's one of those things you never think will happen to you, until it does," she says. In August last year, Kim woke up with an excruciating headache. The pain was so unbearable, she was doubled over on the floor, unable to move. "I knew exactly what was happening; I was having a stroke. My husband was out of the country, but my daughter and son were able to call 911." Kim says she didn’t present with the traditional signs of stroke, where one side is affected over the other, except for the terrible headache. "I was diagnosed with cerebral vein thrombosis, a rare condition accounting for only 2 in 100,000 strokes. A blood clot in a major vein of the brain allowed blood to go, and not leave my brain, causing it to swell," she says. While Kim was in a coma, her family was kept in the loop and comforted by her UnityPoint Health ICU team "The best gift I could have ever asked for was to wake up, on my birthday, and to see my family again," she says. Kim is also grateful to her doctor for his care, transparency in her prognosis, recovery ahead and care coordination. "In addition to my stroke, I had blood clots in my lungs and neck veins. I would not be here if not for the coordination of the care Dr. Griffith provided. My family considers him an angel on earth," she says. Less than four months after her stroke, Kim says the neurology therapy team helped her reach her recovery goals and return to work. After making major strides in her healing, Kim says she wants others to know these 4 things about having a stroke: "Learn the signs of a stroke, trust your body’s intuition if something feels wrong, advocate for yourself and get to the ER as quickly as you can. Time lost is brain lost." Find out about stroke warning signs: https://uph.link/w13