Ms. Dena Henz demonstrates exceptional care to the patients and family assigned to her team. This was demonstrated when a patient presented to the clinic for an appointment on his motorcycle. The patient was hesitant to discuss what was going on, however, Ms. Dena was able to gain his trust and he explained that due to a recent fire, he was homeless and was unsure how he would provide a place to live and meals for his wife and infant child, or how he was going to provide transportation for them since his car was also damaged in the fire. Ms. Dena provided compassionate listening, and after screening the patient, she notified the provider, the Team RN and the Social Worker. While the patient was being seen by the provider, Ms. Henz called around to several food banks to find out the hours of operations and the requirements to get assistance. Additionally, the Social Worker was able to provide the patient with a gas card so that he could get back to his wife and infant child, and she coordinated with the Red Cross to assist with temporary shelter. Additionally, the patient was referred to the HUD/VASH and was able to secure employment and obtain permanent housing for his family.
Ms. Henz is a motivated LPN who upholds the Veterans Administration mission and vision and demonstrated the ICARE core values through her commitment to ensuring that veteran patients are treated with respect. She is an advocate for the patient and his/her health. She goes out of her way to make a difference in the patient's life, as demonstrated when a patient came to the clinic for a scheduled appointment and had questions about his pain medications. The patient was taking Oxycodone/Tylenol and stated that he has problems with his liver. Ms. Henz reviewed his recent labs which revealed elevated liver enzymes. Ms. Henz promptly notified the Provider and RN care manager. The patient had a GI appointment in 2 weeks, however, the provider asked Ms. Henz to call GI department to see if they could see the patient sooner than the scheduled appointment. Ms. Henz explained the situation to the GI staff and was able to secure a same-day appointment with the GI Department. The patient was seen and his condition was assessed and adjustment was made to his medications. On the follow-up visit with the PCP, the patient's liver functions had improved. This intervention prevented an Emergency Room Visit, further liver damage and improved the patient's health outcomes.
Ms. Henz is always looking for ways to improve the work environment. She ensures that the equipment is functioning correctly and any equipment that is malfunctioning she submits the electronic work request without being asked. She is very knowledgeable and will often train coworkers on new computer software and applications. She collaborates with other clinic staff during the RN/LPN Shared Governance Annual Leave Planning committee, ensuring that annual leave requestsare distributed equitably and fairly among 5 clinics, ensuring that most staff gets their annual leave preference and the clinics are adequately staffed especially during the summer months and holiday season.
I have worked with Ms. Henz for over the past 6 years, and have found her to be very patient focus. She treats veterans with respect and always looking for ways to educate them to improve their health (diabetes education, smoking cessation, MOVE, and Whole Health). As a Retired Veteran of the U.S Army and a VA employee, I am proud to have the privilege of working with her and I feel confident that she will continue to uphold the VA's Mission to "Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and wellbeing".