Larry Hurm is a pre-lung transplant patient who utilizes the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation at IU Health Saxony. Hurm has a condition called pulmonary fibrosis, which he describes as a hardening of the lungs. With the trained Rehab team members, Hurm is able exercise knowing the experts in the room can help him if he needs it.

Payton Knapp started on University Hospital’s bone marrow transplant unit as a patient care assistant. Eight years later she’s the clinical nurse manager for the same unit. “My coworkers are my best friends. They’re my family. We’ve been through everything together. They’re definitely why I’ve stayed here,” said Payton. “Coming to this [manager] side I’ve lost some of the patient connections, but I’ve built more of the team member connections. My team members are my patients now and I have to take care of my team and fight for my team like the way I used to fight for my patients.”

Emergency department nurse Connie Milligan found herself at the heart of a surprise celebration on Jan. 29, 2024, commemorating her remarkable 50 years of service at IU Health White Memorial Hospital. The event, attended by her family, fellow team members and members of the White County community, unfolded as a heartwarming testament to the impact Milligan has made over half a century.

The early days

Milligan’s journey at White Memorial began on Jan. 29, 1974. The world looked different then, with Richard Nixon as the President and gas priced at a mere 42 cents per gallon. Undeterred by the challenges for women of that era, Milligan furthered her education and pursued her dream of becoming a registered nurse while still continuing her work at White Memorial.

From a young age, Milligan’s fascination with hospitals and the intricacies of the human body set her apart. While her peers avoided medical settings, being in a hospital energized Milligan. Healthcare was a natural fit.

The early days at White Memorial were marked by more primitive conditions than today, including handwritten records and techniques that have fallen out of fashion (Milligan vividly recalls performing a rotating tourniquet, a technique replaced by modern advancements).

Loving the people and the rush

“I can’t get going until I have adrenaline flowing through my veins,” says Milligan, a self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie.

Her dedication to treating everyone with respect, combined with her huge heart, defines her nursing philosophy. The joy of interacting with patients and colleagues, her devotion to improving trust in medicine and a deep care for her patients fuels her ongoing commitment to the profession.

“I am, by nature, a caregiver,” says Milligan.

Colleagues speak glowingly of Milligan’s impact. Clinical nurse Aslyn Reader highlights her excellent food and commitment to service. Kayla Rogers, Emergency department clinical operations manager, notes her dedication to creating a personal connection with patients.

“She’s got a generous soul,” says White Memorial chief operating officer Mary Minier, a colleague of 48 years.

Educating the next generation of nurses

“If I weren’t a nurse, I’d be an educator,” says Milligan, who contemplated a career teaching anatomy and physiology.

Her passion for mentoring new nurses and community advocacy underscores her belief in creating a legacy through education.

“She is all about education,” says Connie Jordan, Inpatient Services clinical operations manager. Jordan explains that Milligan has honed excellent skills at breaking complex subjects down to a microscopic level and explaining them in simple terms, an important skill to have while educating new nurses.

Milligan’s paramount advice to new nurses is simple yet profound: Maintain a genuine love for people. She firmly believes that this emotional connection cultivates happiness and effectiveness in their roles, elevating patient care.

Looking ahead

For Milligan, 50 years has gone by very fast. Although she now works part-time, she has no plans for full retirement. She does not want to limit herself just because of her age or give up the skills that she has honed over the past half century. Fully retiring would also mean leaving her work friends, who are close to her.

Milligan’s journey is a testament to the evolution of healthcare, her unwavering dedication and the enduring impact of genuine care. For Connie Milligan, 50 years may have passed swiftly, but the indelible mark she is making on White Memorial and the lives she has touched over the years will resonate for generations to come.

It was several months ago when Kaitlin Lutes was diagnosed with lymphoma. Now she’s sharing her story of hope.

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

Kaitlin Lutes recently sat with her mother in the infusion unit of IU Health Simon Cancer Center. As she talked to nurses and family members her face lit up. She was animated and cheerful. A stranger would not guess that Lutes was completing the most challenging six months of her life.

On July 22, Lutes was diagnosed with lymphoma, a cancer that begins in the lymph system, which is part of the immune system that helps the body fight infection and disease.

“When I heard the word ‘lymphoma’ I completely dropped to the floor and then I called my parents,” said Lutes, who turned 20 in May. She had just moved out on her parent’s home two weeks earlier and was looking forward to starting her life of independence.

The oldest of four girls, Lutes is the daughter of Tabitha and Brian Lutes. She was born in Lafayette, Ind. – her mother’s hometown. Lutes and her sisters were raised in upstate New York, three hours north of Syracuse and eventually moved to Spokane, Wash. Lutes graduated in 2022 from Ferris High School, in Spokane. The family moved back to Indiana in August 2022, about a year before Lutes received her diagnosis.

“I’m glad we’re here – close to family and close to IU Health,” said her mother. “Kaitlin was my kid who never got sick. Everyone else would get a bug and she’d end up just fine. And then the cancer diagnosis hit us.”

About a month before her diagnosis Lutes had been dehydrated and thought it might be due to a viral infection. When she went to the doctor her physician noticed a lump on her neck and ordered an ultrasound.

“It looked very concerning and the lump wasn’t going away. A biopsy followed the ultrasound and the next day I got the results and I had cancer,” said Kaitlin.

Tabitha Lutes said her daughter always had a bubbly personality and even though she was timid growing up, she always made friends. “She loved to be outside catching frogs and be carefree,” said her mom. “I’m amazed at how well she has handled all of this.”

Since her diagnosis, Lutes has been in the care of Dr. Michael Robertson. In addition to chemotherapy, she experienced her first hospital stay in her life when she spiked a fever and her white blood cell count dropped and she couldn’t fight off the infection. During those five days in the hospital, her hair began to fall out and she remembers sharing that experience with a special nurse at IU Health University Hospital.

“I don’t remember her name but I’ll always remember her as someone who supported me through this journey,” said Lutes. “She shared that she had gone through uterine cancer and she offered to shave my head. It was a relief, really.”

She also counts among her blessings a psychologist, Victoria Powers, that she meets with every other week.

“I think people don’t understand the toll cancer takes on your mental health. It’s been so tough and my therapist has helped me face my fears. I try hard not to show those fears because I don’t want to scare everyone, but those fears don’t just go away,” said Lutes.

In addition to her hospital caregivers, Lutes said she has been surrounded by a support system of family and friends – including her parents, her boyfriend, Hunter Smith, her grandmother Debra Alguire, and her boyfriend’s mother, Jill Smith.

The team recently showed up to cheer for Lutes as she rang the bell at Simon Cancer Center signaling an end to her treatment. In October she learned that she is in remission and now she looks toward her future.

First, she wants to settle into her home with her boyfriend – a one-bedroom white house in Beech Grove with a purple porch light. Purple is the color signifying lymphoma. “I want to someday own a house, get married, and have a family.”

Oh, and there’s one more thing: “I am Taylor Swift’s biggest fan. I hope I can make it to her concert. What a headline that would be she said: ’Taylor Swift welcomes biggest fan who beat cancer.’”

Tara Quirke, a speech-language pathologist at IU Health North, has worked at the hospital since it opened. She works with pediatric patients, from newborns to teenagers. Her focus areas are feeding and swallowing as well as language and speech problems.

“I love working with kids, especially with feeding problems,” she says. “It’s such a personal thing for families, so it’s nice to be able to help families know how to feed their child safely.”

Kari Adams is a patient with cancer who’s journey is also forcing her to contend with cardiac risk factors. That’s where her cardio-ocologist, Dr. Suparna Clasen comes in. “I’ve had the privilege of taking care of miss Adams for four or five years now,” said Dr. Clasen. “What we offer here in cardio-oncology is a partnership [with the patient and their oncologist] to manage cardiovascular health in our oncology patients.”

Daniel Rogers has been a nurse on University Hospital’s surgical progressive care unit for eight years. He came to the unit because a friend referred him, but has stayed because of the teamwork, his managers and his patients. “About 95 percent of our patients have all had cancer, gone through chemo and radiation… due to the nature of cancer we’ll have patients come back and say ‘hey I remember you from five years ago. You were awesome.’ That’s meaningful to me and also just seeing a patient smile and say thank you… that’s probably the biggest reward here.”