Mrs. Shelby Wilhelm has been a Registered Nurse at the Charlotte Health Care Center since November 2020. Though she joined the VA during the COVID-19 pandemic at a time where patient care was often difficult and unpredictable, she has remained an extraordinary patient advocate and a compassionate Nurse.  

When the Charlotte Health Care Center recognized the need for chemotherapy to be administered, Mrs. Wilhelm developed the clinic and set up a space for our Veterans to be comfortable while respecting their privacy during their long appointment. During the past year, Mrs. Wilhelm has assumed the role of full-time Case Manager for the Hematology/Oncology clinic. She has continually gone above and beyond ensuring providers have records from the community, saving the patients time and stress. 

Most recently, a Veteran presented to clinic battling cancer. As she was educating him on his chemotherapy, she noticed the soles of his shoes were coming off, and his feet were exposed. This created a risk for falls and further injury. She took it upon herself to find a size 13 pair of sneakers. After she helped him, the Veteran expressed his profound gratitude. During such a tough time, a little compassion and dignity meant the world to this Veteran. While Mrs. Wilhelm will say she is “just doing her job,” it is clear to the Veterans and their families that she is simply doing so much more. She is that warm shoulder, that open ear, and that Extraordinary Nurse that every Veteran needs when they receive a life-changing diagnosis. Florence Nightingale once described Nursing as an art. It is safe to say Mrs. Wilhelm has perfected her craft.