Angela Reno
July 2024
Angela
Reno
,
LPN
Primary Care
Erie VA Medical Center
Erie
,
PA
United States
Until recently, women vets represented less than 10% of patients. As that number has increased, Angela Reno has been instrumental in preparing the Erie VA to make these veterans feel welcome.
The demographics of our patient community are changing as more women vets are getting their primary care through the Erie VA. Until recently, women vets represented less than 10% of patients. As that number has increased, Angela Reno has been instrumental in preparing the Erie VA to make these veterans feel welcome:
When the Women's Health clinic was moved from the old Compensation and Pension department, Angela coordinated the logistics, such as ordering the correct exam tables, stocking exam rooms with items necessary for women's health care (including a new sterile cart for specimen collection and organizing all the instruments), and very importantly, taking appropriate measures to ensure each of the exam rooms were set up to offer privacy. With many women vets reporting Military Sexual Trauma, maintaining privacy during women's health exams became one of Angela's highest priorities.
She coordinated a process improvement for the labeling of specimens for the women’s health program, which improved the number of procedures that may need repeating.
She took the lead in training safe patient handling in the women's health clinic and advocated getting a lift. One female patient was extremely grateful because she had fractured both her femurs and was non-weight bearing. She wanted to keep her care at the Erie VA, and this was possible because of Angela's success in getting a lift.
Using her expertise, she arranged for rotation for all primary care LPNs through the women’s clinic to hone their skills to assist providers in doing pelvic exams, colposcopies, and IUD removal/insertions. As a result of Angela's efforts, Erie VA women’s clinic passed the JCHOA inspection with flying colors!
It's not just women veterans that Angela is compassionate about helping. When a 43-year-old male patient came in for a routine blood pressure check, she picked up on some cues during their discussion and found out that he was homeless and getting one meal a day at the Erie City Mission, had no phone, and had applied for public assistance but wasn't able to understand how to complete the forms. Angela immediately sprang into action. In the next 24 hours, she got him an iPad to help with communications, a social worker consult to assist in applying for public assistance and contacted the homeless coordinator to start arrangements for permanent housing. This patient now has a brighter future thanks to Angela's hard work and willingness to listen and take action.
When the Women's Health clinic was moved from the old Compensation and Pension department, Angela coordinated the logistics, such as ordering the correct exam tables, stocking exam rooms with items necessary for women's health care (including a new sterile cart for specimen collection and organizing all the instruments), and very importantly, taking appropriate measures to ensure each of the exam rooms were set up to offer privacy. With many women vets reporting Military Sexual Trauma, maintaining privacy during women's health exams became one of Angela's highest priorities.
She coordinated a process improvement for the labeling of specimens for the women’s health program, which improved the number of procedures that may need repeating.
She took the lead in training safe patient handling in the women's health clinic and advocated getting a lift. One female patient was extremely grateful because she had fractured both her femurs and was non-weight bearing. She wanted to keep her care at the Erie VA, and this was possible because of Angela's success in getting a lift.
Using her expertise, she arranged for rotation for all primary care LPNs through the women’s clinic to hone their skills to assist providers in doing pelvic exams, colposcopies, and IUD removal/insertions. As a result of Angela's efforts, Erie VA women’s clinic passed the JCHOA inspection with flying colors!
It's not just women veterans that Angela is compassionate about helping. When a 43-year-old male patient came in for a routine blood pressure check, she picked up on some cues during their discussion and found out that he was homeless and getting one meal a day at the Erie City Mission, had no phone, and had applied for public assistance but wasn't able to understand how to complete the forms. Angela immediately sprang into action. In the next 24 hours, she got him an iPad to help with communications, a social worker consult to assist in applying for public assistance and contacted the homeless coordinator to start arrangements for permanent housing. This patient now has a brighter future thanks to Angela's hard work and willingness to listen and take action.