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Building Empathy: Forging Bonds with Jodi Holzmeister
Working in hospice truly takes a unique, strong, compassionate, and selfless person. Lucky for Midland Care, Jodi Holzmeister, RN Team Lead at the Hospice House, fits that bill perfectly.
Holzmeister, a Topeka native, graduated from High School at Topeka West and attended Washburn University. While attending Washburn, she was a patient care technician at Stormont Vail. In January 2012, Midland was her first professional job after completing her nursing degree.
She loves the mission of Midland Care. “I love the organization’s compassion and care for the community’s older and chronically sick patients.
“We work hard at providing excellent care to
jodi holzmeister
dying patients and their families.”
Also, the care team we have at hospice house are amazing to work with,” she said. “We all show up ready to care for our patients and work together. We all do our best to carry a positive attitude daily, and our patients and families see that. It carries over into the care we provide.”
Holzmeister is proud of the benefits of the Hospice program. “We work hard at providing excellent care to dying patients and their families,” she said. “One thing that sets hospice apart from any other type of nursing is that we focus on the whole patient and family. We get to put autonomy and dignity at the forefront of our care.”
When not delivering exceptional care at The House, she enjoys spending time at the lake, kayaking, home improvement projects, baking, and crafts. Above all, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Her eyes light up when she talks about the people who bring her joy in life. She said, “I am grateful for my daughter, amazing boyfriend, friends, and family.”
Her career also provides profound joy, even on the most challenging days. “Doing my work helps me realize the importance of living life and living life to the fullest. I hit a wall a few years ago, burned out and depressed. But I made changes in my life that have helped me find joy again. That has carried over into my work and personal life,” she said. “Not every day is perfect, but appreciating the good ones is important. When a patient or family says thank you, it warms my heart. When I go home from work and know I made a difference that day, it reminds me that I am doing what I was meant to be doing. And that is an amazing feeling; it occasionally comes with sad times and tears. This work can be hard at times. Finding people to talk to and having supportive relationships helps me get through every day.”
Her colleagues describe her as caring, funny, fun, kind, optimistic, creative, and easygoing. She loves to talk about things that make her excited.
Midland’s Hospice House is renowned for its exceptional patient care and support for families, with individuals like Jodi Holzmeister being integral to building and maintaining this strong reputation.