“Meranda has gone above and beyond to help me get the care needed to attend Cardiac Rehab after I had stents placed following a positive cardiac stress test that I had in Onaga,” the patient said.

The patient faced several challenges in addition to his heart problems. He did not have a phone or car, so Schmitz arranged transportation for his appointments, and she worked with social services to help him get a cell phone. The patient also could not see well because his glasses were broken, so she helped him arrange an appointment with an eye doctor.

“With all of these factors against me, I’m not sure I would have taken my health as seriously or committed to improving myself if it wasn’t for her,” the patient said.  
Schmitz’s compassion, dedication, and desire to improve her patients’ lives truly embodies what it means to be an Extraordinary Nurse. CHCS is proud to count her among our associates.

“Our Cardiopulmonary Rehab program is fairly new – Cardiac Rehab began in early 2020, and we added Pulmonary Rehab last year – and despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, Meranda has done a wonderful job of developing the program and serving her patients,” said Mindy Olberding, chief nursing officer at Community HealthCare System.

“We routinely hear enthusiastic comments from patients about Meranda and the other nurses and therapists who serve Cardiopulmonary Rehab patients. The care they receive is truly life-saving and life-changing because of all they learn to help manage their conditions and improve their quality of life,” Olberding said.