March 2024
Tamara M.
Kluth
,
RN
Cardiology
Iowa City VA Medical Center
Iowa City
,
IA
United States
Thank you for considering all aspects of patient care and being mindful of how stressful multiple transports can be during recovery.
Tamara Kluth, Cardiology Case Manager was nominated by her supervisor, as she has gone above and beyond again for a Veteran. During the process of scheduling an urgent cardiac catheterization for a Veteran, she identified that the Veteran had recently been admitted to a care facility. She came to find out the Veteran was recently recovering from a non-weight-bearing, painful, broken leg. The care facility, located about 90 minutes away from the Iowa City VA, did not have transportation. When Tami contacted the travel office, it was determined that the patient would need to be transported via ambulance. Upon further review of the Veteran's chart, Tami noticed that the Veteran had numerous appointments throughout the month of September and instead of just simply scheduling the cardiac catheterization and moving on, she took the time to condense those appointments into one trip for the Veteran. This process took roughly 3 hours to coordinate and to obtain approval for a planned admission. Tami was able to accommodate the cardiac catheterization, admission, an ultrasound, PT/mobility screen (which is normally done at the federal building), and an orthopedic follow-up appointment all within one trip for the Veteran. Thank you for considering all aspects of patient care and being mindful of how stressful multiple transports can be during recovery. Great work Tami, congratulations and keep up the remarkable care you provide, your outstanding compassion doesn’t go unnoticed!