Kimberly A Bouvier-Barnes
May 2023
Kimberly A
Bouvier-Barnes
,
RN
Oncology
UVM Health Network - Alice Hyde Medical Center
Malone
,
NY
United States
Kim’s perseverance paid off and she was able to get the patient admitted to an inpatient care setting, so they could receive the life-saving therapy that had previously been so effective at treating their cancer.
Caring for cancer patients and survivors is a responsibility members of Alice Hyde’s Reddy Cancer Center are proud to shoulder each day, and being a tireless advocate for patients — especially when the RCC team is the only resource and support a patient has — is something in which registered nurse Kim Bouvier-Barnes takes special pride.
That pride and dedication was on display earlier this spring, when Bouvier-Barnes went above and beyond to connect a patient with specialized, life-saving therapy that otherwise wouldn’t have been available because of their living situation.
“It seemed as though this patient’s situation was hopeless,” said Alice Hyde’s Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Practice Operations. “But Kim just wouldn’t accept that.”
Kim first shared the patient’s situation with her in April, when it became clear that their at-home support system had seen significant changes that would threaten their ability to receive the specialized medical care that had, in the past, been successful at treating a specific type of cancer. The specialized therapy regimen requires two weeks of 24-hour care following the treatment. In the past, the patient’s friends had been able to provide that care at home — but their own families’ medical needs had required they move out-of-state, and the patient’s family members, who also live out-of-state, were not able to assist either.
Nevertheless, Kim persisted – making countless phone calls over the course of several weeks as she explored different possibilities that could get the patient the care they needed post-therapy.
Finally, in late April, Kim’s perseverance paid off and she was able to get the patient admitted to an inpatient care setting, so they could receive the life-saving therapy that had previously been so effective at treating their cancer.
“Kim simply wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer – no matter how much resistance or how many roadblocks she encountered. Her relentless advocacy was amazing to watch, and that’s why I nominated her for this award.”
That pride and dedication was on display earlier this spring, when Bouvier-Barnes went above and beyond to connect a patient with specialized, life-saving therapy that otherwise wouldn’t have been available because of their living situation.
“It seemed as though this patient’s situation was hopeless,” said Alice Hyde’s Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Practice Operations. “But Kim just wouldn’t accept that.”
Kim first shared the patient’s situation with her in April, when it became clear that their at-home support system had seen significant changes that would threaten their ability to receive the specialized medical care that had, in the past, been successful at treating a specific type of cancer. The specialized therapy regimen requires two weeks of 24-hour care following the treatment. In the past, the patient’s friends had been able to provide that care at home — but their own families’ medical needs had required they move out-of-state, and the patient’s family members, who also live out-of-state, were not able to assist either.
Nevertheless, Kim persisted – making countless phone calls over the course of several weeks as she explored different possibilities that could get the patient the care they needed post-therapy.
Finally, in late April, Kim’s perseverance paid off and she was able to get the patient admitted to an inpatient care setting, so they could receive the life-saving therapy that had previously been so effective at treating their cancer.
“Kim simply wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer – no matter how much resistance or how many roadblocks she encountered. Her relentless advocacy was amazing to watch, and that’s why I nominated her for this award.”