Kellie Schoolmeesters, RN, BSN

Kellie goes above and beyond to do what is deserving to each patient she serves. We had a patient here in primary care who needed to be seen immediately but the caregiver of the patient was not sure how to seek help and wasn’t saying this when I would call. So, every time I called to try and schedule this patient with his PCP I would get a response that he was not able to come to the phone. After several attempts, my intuitions told me I needed to get someone involved who could ask the appropriate questions to find out the health status of this patient. The first person who came to mind was RN Kellie Schoolmeesters. After explaining to Kellie that I had called this patient several times and for some reason, his caregiver refused to allow me to speak with him and some of the strange responses I was getting from the caregiver told Kellie something was odd and needed her attention. Kellie immediately called the patient and found out he had been released from his care facility and was brought home with his caregiver. The patient was bedbound and no longer able to get out of bed but needed medical attention. The caregiver was not able to manage the patient’s weight and wasn’t aware of her options to seek help here at the VA. Kellie helped arrange to change the care from outpatient to having his care be done in his home. I could only imagine had Kellie not stepped in what would have been the outcome. But her quick thinking and follow-through possibly saved his life. I am so grateful that Kellie didn’t question the information I had provided but acted quickly to help get this patient and caregiver what they both needed. We know that caregivers often suffer when they are exhausted and not sure about what to do. The stress of this worry could have possibly affected her life as well. Kellie is such a kind thoughtful & knowledgeable person. I am truly blessed to be on her team.