Methodist Healthcare System | Keeping Well | Spring 2018

ABOVE AND BEYOND 2018 Graceann Durr Methodist Healthcare Humanitarian Awards VOLUNTEER Constanza Roeder Methodist Hospital As a cancer survivor, former Blue Bird volunteer and now pioneer in bringing the arts and music to Methodist Hospital cancer patients, Constanza Roeder has el- evated the care of patients in the Methodist Hospital cancer program. She has touched the lives of many of our cancer patients and families and continues to make a huge impact. She has an incredible work ethic, giving nearly 30 hours a month to Methodist cancer patients, and her compassion and gratitude for life are infectious. Most importantly, she models kindness and true service to our cancer patients, protecting their dignity and engaging in their healing. Roeder first began volunteering as a Blue Bird in 2010. Her gifts and talents in singing, music, arts, and lifting the spirits of patients were a great fit for the adult cancer patients who are often hospitalized for prolonged peri- ods. Roeder understood the evidence and data behind using music and healing arts to help patients cope and to have better health outcomes. She began with “bedside concerts,” singing for our cancer patients as well as “cor- ridor concerts” for staff, family and visitors to enjoy. She found local artists to provide art classes and light yoga. She has been very active in our Young Adult Cancer sup- port groups, sharing her story of surviving cancer as an adolescent/young adult herself. Music and the arts have long been valued as part of healing, but often financial support for them is limited. Constanza recognized this gap. This led to her huge un- dertaking of creating her own 501(c)(3) nonprofit orga- nization, HEARTS NEED ART, in 2017. In 2017, Roeder and her amazing team of volunteer artists provided music and the arts to more than 1,100 patients and caregivers, most at Methodist Hospital. She has a vision beyond the cancer patients here at one hos- pital and hopes to expand and provide healing arts to cancer patients throughout San Antonio. PHYSICIAN Stephen McConnell, MD Metropolitan Methodist Hospital Stephen McConnell, MD, embodies the Graceann Durr Methodist Healthcare Humanitarian Award every day in the emergency department and also in a global setting through his healthcare outreach to Africa. McConnell leads by both word and example. His words include accountability, compassion, respect and excellence— words that are very familiar to MHS. His actions include countless hours working and going above and beyond to help make sure that our patients get the best clinical care and the best experience possible. He does this in his role as both a doctor actually working and clinically taking care of patients and also as the medical director of the ER, leading the department to do the right thing for our patients and the community. His passion shines through when he personally works the floor, taking time to fully communicate with his patients and their families. His service goes beyond Metropolitan Methodist Hospital. McConnell traveled to Uganda last spring to support the efforts of Reaching Africa’s Unreached. Among its goals, the organization works to improve the quality of healthcare to the region. The trip had a huge impact on McConnell as a person. He was able to see the gaps that exist in providing proper healthcare to people in the region. He participated in both education and actual care of patients in several clinics, working with two physicians who were responsible for taking care of nearly 400,000 people by themselves. He intends on continuing to assist Reaching Africa’s Unreached. Future needs include more education, supplies and equipment that works properly. M ETHODIST HEALTHCARE recently hon- ored three individuals as winners of the 2018 Graceann Durr Methodist Healthcare Humanitarian Awards, recognizing their outstanding commitment to the humanitarian values that are the foundation of our organization. Methodist Healthcare established the Graceann Durr Humanitarian Awards in 2009, named in memory of a long serving and devoted Methodist Healthcare board member. Mrs. Durr was the daughter of G.S. McCreless who, along with four other businessmen, donated the land for the building of Methodist Hospital. Throughout her life, Mrs. Durr embraced the value of the human spirit and the duty of each of us to work diligently to improve ourselves and others. She remained true to her belief in the value of kindness, happiness, thankfulness, giving, integrity and living a life of gentle morality. Many worthy individuals were nominated for the award in all three categories, and the judges found the selection process difficult. Read the winners’ stories here and go to SAHealth. com/about/newsroom to read about all of this year’s nominees. EMPLOYEE Christine Niekamp, RN Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital Christine Niekamp, RN, was nominated for the Graceann Durr Methodist Healthcare Humanitarian Award for or- ganizing and championing the perinatal bereavement program at Methodist for the last 17 years and for organiz- ing “Walk to Remember,” a citywide community event that provides support for families grieving the loss of their babies. Niekamp provides an amazing service, not only for Methodist, but for all of San Antonio. Throughout the year, Niekamp works tirelessly to make sure these grieving mothers have mementoes for their babies and the support needed for the grieving process. Niekamp has chaired the Bereavement Committee, which meets monthly, for 17 years. For the perinatal bereave- ment program at Methodist, she also coordinates the supply of memory boxes, bracelets, birth certificates, and other supplies. In addition, Niekamp educates the staff and keeps everyone up-to-date on the policies and pro- cesses for families that have a pregnancy loss. Niekamp works all year long to prepare for the “Walk to Remember.” The event has had a profound impact on the community. It gives families the opportunity to grieve by having speakers, prayers, music, and the ability to network with other families willing to share their stories. Niekamp has been a labor and delivery nurse at Methodist Hospital since graduation from Incarnate Word College in 1984. One of her first perinatal loss patients was a painting teacher. There was no formal perinatal bereavement program at that time. Niekamp met her patient again in 1966 when she took a decorative painting class from her. Remembering her teacher’s loss, Niekamp painted a memory box and set of memory cards for her baby. Because of that outreach, the painting teacher, who had been Niekamp’s patient and is now her friend, works with her students on memory boxes for the hospital and has provided them for 16 years. Reaching out to other Methodist Healthcare hospi- tals, Niekamp has worked to standardize and facilitate bereavement care throughout the system. Methodist Healthcare Recognizes Individuals Who Go 4 S P R I N G 2 0 1 8 K E E P I N G W E L L M e t h o d i s t H e a l t h c a r e