“Why I Choose SageWest”
By Betsy Schimelpfenig, Quality Department at SageWest Health Care
Betsy joined SageWest way back in June of 1985. In those days, Lander’s hospital was called Lander Valley Regional Medical Center. Like all careers, departments changed and services evolved. However, Betsy says there are some things have never changed: the wonderful people and the Lander community, flush with activities just down the street or up in the mountains.
As a new graduate from the nursing program, making a home in Lander, Wyoming was a no-brainer. The local hospital has allowed her to spend her days providing value to her community, followed by nights and weekends on the town or in the “wonderful outdoors!”
“I love living in this community. There is always so much to do! Opera on Saturdays at the Library, the Community Orchestra provides wonderful music and allows us to explore and grow the musical ability in both youth and adult learners.”
On the weekends, Betsy and her family can often be found hiking or skiing (18K of beautiful nordic tracks!), or walking trails and admiring the flowers and the views from peaks and valleys, the sunsets and sunrises. “We do a ton of camping and fishing too! My husband would probably add hunting 😉 ” Betsy exclaimed. “We also love to canoe, kayak and even sail (yes, we have a sailboat) our mountain lakes.”
“I am proud to have raised my children in Lander, Wyoming. We have great schools and school programs, soccer, parks and rec, ski team, swim team, academics, scholarships to college. The Community College at CWC… I still take classes! There was Baseball in the Park when my boys were younger, complete with hot dogs and ‘Batter, batter, batter…'”
Betsy went on to describe all the endless activities she has discovered over the years: Shakespeare in the Park and theater at CWC. Great beer at the Gannett Grill and Pizza at Tony’s Pizza. Everything from miles of roads for biking to quiet time spent reading. Betsy takes advantage of the plentiful books at the Lander Library, just one block away. And with a little water, everything grows in her garden!
It’s family, Lander’s hidden gems, and welcoming residents that have given Betsy a full life. Working at the local hospital, SageWest Health Care, helps make that possible.
In her career at Lander’s medical center and hospital, Betsy has benefited from options. “I thought about going to OB, but decided to go to ICU instead, and took a course to become an ICU nurse… I work with some great nurses and amazing physicians.”
With decades of experience to rely on, Betsy now gets to apply her enthusiasm and zeal towards making SageWest a great hospital. She currently works in the Quality Department. ” We have some very smart people in our department, dedicated to making sure that our patients receive care that is evidence based, and that the many standards imposed by regulatory and oversight agencies are known, followed, and constantly improving.”
“I think SageWest is a great place to work,” she continued. “I value our Standards for Healing and I believe in our current focus on patient safety, quality and improving the experience of our patients. It’s important work.”
I choose SageWest because…
I am thankful to live in such a great community and that my job allows me to contribute to its success.