Her volunteer résumé is just as long. As a board member, she helped lead the Wisconsin state chapter of the Arthritis Foundation from 1999 to 2005. In 2011, she was named the chapter’s Yost Volunteer of the Year, in large part due to more than 20 years of volunteering at a camp for children with juvenile arthritis.
Q: Why were you so surprised when you were notified of your ARHP award?
A: There are so many people, especially in the ARHP, that I know who are also such wonderful volunteers. It’s maybe that humbling part of me that I don’t necessarily look at myself as having done so much. I see so many people around active and doing things. That’s why I was surprised and very honored, obviously.
Q: How important is it for younger rheumatology health professionals to get involved in the field outside of their day jobs?
A: When you start working, you get very wrapped up in just getting through your day. Even if you like what you’re doing, it can get kind of mundane and you can get stressed out. Getting involved in different areas balances that because, sometimes, you may not overly appreciate just going to work every day. But when you’re involved in community organizations or in national professional organization, people really appreciate what you’re doing. They understand that it’s a stretch for you to take hours out of your week or weeks out of your year to help out. You’re really appreciated and they let you know. That’s what keeps you going.
Plus you get to network with a group of people well beyond your immediate work situation. That also is something that is beneficial because you see how different people work. You can share different ideas, you can bring those ideas back to your own situation and make changes for the better. There are an unlimited number of benefits to getting involved beyond the workplace.
Q: Why are awards like these important to this specialty?
A: Rheumatology is a small field. We may not get recognition from larger nurse-practitioner organizations or other professional organizations, just because it is a small field. But, in this organization, the ARHP being a multidisciplinary organization, I think it’s really important to recognize people for the work that they’ve done in different areas. And it’s a way to bring in and get the newer members to realize that they, too, may be recognized at some point for service or research or being an educator or good clinician. I think it gives them a lot of impetus to stay in the field.
