UnityPoint Health

UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids earned “A” grades for equity, inclusion, care value and outcomes - solidifying a spot as the most socially responsible hospital in Iowa.

A NICU nurse, Erica Renzi could tell right away something was wrong at her 20-week ultrasound. Four days later, a test confirmed her baby had a congenital heart defect (CHD) and needed life-saving surgery. "My world shattered. I felt scared and alone," she said. Despite her years as a nurse at our Madison location, Erica said nothing prepares you for seeing your own baby after open heart surgery. "When I walked into his room, I saw an unrecognizable baby. He was swollen, paralyzed and restrained. He had tubes and wires coming out of every part of his body, even his chest. Seeing him that way was devastating. As the dust settled, I had time to process what we'd been through. I thought about all the families in my community with a new fetal CHD diagnosis and wondered if they felt the same fears and loneliness I did," she said. Soon after, Erica started compiling resources that were helpful to her family, along with writing a personal note from a heart mom to a new heart family, ensuring them they were in excellent hands at Meriter. "The goal is to give support to families that feel as lost and devastated as mine once did. I let these families know their feelings are normal, and they're not alone. I wanted to let parents know they're the best thing for their baby and that they didn’t cause this," she said. With the help of her NICU team, the care packages are now distributed to families in the Center for Perinatal Care at Meriter. "This experience with my son has forever changed me, deepening my understanding of the importance of connection and compassion in healthcare. As a nurse, I'm more committed than ever to empowering parents in the NICU, supporting them as they comfort their babies, learn to care for them and navigate challenges ahead." Join a team who cares: https://lnkd.in/enjJQFYK

🎉 Exciting News from UnityPoint Health - St. Luke's Hospital! We have a new emergency department in in Eastern Iowa. It's the first off-campus ER for UnityPoint Health. The state-of-the-art facility in Marion offers full-service ER care, featuring 12 private rooms, trauma rooms and advanced diagnostic imaging to ensure top-notch medical care when patients need it most. https://lnkd.in/gKbxmZr6

At 80 years old, this doc is still doing what he loves. Last week was Dr. James Paulson's birthday. He was up at 5 a.m. to drive to one of our rural clinics, where he'll care for patients he's been seeing for years. Growing up, Dr. Paulson used to go to work with his dad at their family-owned drug store. Today, his wife still works as a pharmacist as does his daughter. Dr. Paulson's nurses have been in it for the long-haul with him, too. They've been working together for more than 40 years, and he says they're "incredible." We think Dr. Paulson is pretty incredible, too. Find your career in caring: https://lnkd.in/enjJQFYK

Three decades and 5,000 babies delivered later, Dr. Fred Melius now works alongside a woman he delivered years ago. Natalie Gefke is a surgical technician who works with Dr. Melius in the operating room. Gefke told a local news station, “I was looking for my birth certificate to get my passport, and I accidentally found some birth memory thing that said he was the doctor who delivered me, and I was like ‘Oh, I work with this guy! Small world!’” Join a team with people who care: https://lnkd.in/enjJQFYK

Daniel Joiner our health system’s first chief diversity officer, was recognized by Becker's Healthcare in their 2024 Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officers to Know list. Daniel’s impact over the past two years has created opportunity, connection and action for numerous DEI initiatives throughout our communities and organization. Elevating a care atmosphere where all are welcome, his work is seen and felt across our organization. Congrats, Daniel!

Congrats to Jennifer Welch on two big milestones! She’s our 100th Career Pathways graduate this year — receiving her medical assistant certification after completing a16-week program through UnityPoint Clinic. Career Pathways is a professional development program for eligible team members who want to advance their healthcare career at UnityPoint Health. Learn more about career opportunities: https://lnkd.in/enjJQFYK

This is what 55 years of making a difference looks like. Jan Pacholke, RN, has been with UnityPoint Health since 1969, beginning as a staff nurse in the ICU and holding several other positions over the decades. “So many things have changed,” Jan says. “When I started it was hand charting, and now everything is computerized. The length of stay for patients was much longer, now medicine has come so far with what we can do to help people get better.” One thing Jan said hasn’t changed over the years is the people. “I graduated from the Finley School of Nursing in 1971, and it's been a great place to work. I’ve had so much opportunity and learned a lot. But most of all what has kept me here is the people – I’ve gotten to work with so many wonderful people.” Join a team with wonderful people, like you: https://lnkd.in/enjJQFYK

Around here, we love a reason to celebrate. Eight years ago, we rolled out four organizational values — a set of actions you can see and feel whenever you’re in our care. The response from our team was incredible, and the momentum hasn’t slowed. To recognize the anniversary, and most importantly, the people who live, breathe and champion those values today — we spent last week showering our teams across our health system with appreciation. 💙   Get in on the fun. Check out our current openings: https://lnkd.in/enjJQFYK

We're proud to care for our communities. Two of our locations were named great community hospitals. UnityPoint Health - Meriter (Madison, WI) and UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids were recognized by Becker's Healthcare for clinical and academic excellence, personalized and holistic care and overall contributions to the health of our communities. https://uph.link/pgq