GVFaces: Kimberly McElhaney

December 13, 2022 (Volume 46, Number 8)

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by Clémence Daniere, student writer

From her past experience as a registered nurse, to her current position as project manager at the Kirkhof College of Nursing's Wesorick Center for Health Care Transformation, Kimberly McElhaney has been thoroughly involved with her community.

She said her passion lies with helping others and creating a better environment for the people around her. 

McElhaney worked in a hospital as a surgery director during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which she said greatly impacted her work in the mental health field. By witnessing what her colleagues were going through, McElhaney was able to bring this focus with her during her career change. 

McElhaney said nurses have experienced an increased amount of moral distress due to the pandemic and she is determined to try and assist them through her position at the center. 

The Wesorick Center, an endowed center named for Bonnie Wesorick, strives to identify shortcomings in the health care system and transform them through research and interprofessional communication. 

“We get sponsorships and endowments to run this program so that we can help change the thought process of people, trying to help transform health care,” McElhaney said.

Since June, the center has hosted ethics conferences and health forums to engage the community. McElhaney has been able to step up and speak out for underserved communities through this position. 

By asking the hard questions and gathering information through literary searches, McElhaney has become an integral part of the health care transformation efforts at the Wesorick Center.

“I’m happy to be able to use my mind and my experiences in the hospital setting and come to the university. What I find at the university is the respect for each other here, the diversity, the environment, the beauty of the campus is just so refreshing to me,” said McElhaney. “I have so many opportunities to do the things that I am passionate for, which is what I love about GVSU.”

 

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