XENIA — Jamestown native Roxanne Chaney loves working with her second family in cardiac rehabilitation at Greene Memorial Hospital. It was that dedication that garnered a nomination of 2018 Ohio Healthcare Worker of the Year.
Now in her fourth year at Greene, Chaney started her nursing career in the stress lab at a nearby hospital. She worked much of her career in the emergency room and transferred to rehabilitation.
“It is so nice to provide this kind of continued nursing care to patients,” she said. Many of her patients have gone through open heart surgery, have had stints put in or even a heart transplant.
“They are working hard to get their lives back. We can help them build endurance and keep them going through maintenance,” she added.
Chaney made some changes when she arrived at rehab and helped treatment plans flow more easily and helped to start dietary classes. These extra efforts were only part of her recent recognition.
The nurse has a son in the Navy and volunteers with local veteran events when she’s not working. She has a soft spot for veterans because many of her patients are veterans. She found out from her son that some of the young people in boot camp weren’t getting any letters from home. Chaney couldn’t let that happen, she asked friends, patients and staff to write letters to the young recruits. And they did.
“I got everyone involved,” she said. “I couldn’t see these young people go without feeling special.”
Management and patients noticed her extra efforts and felt she should be recognized. She was chosen to represent Greene as their nominee for this annual award.
“It is an amazing honor,” she said. “I just want to help people. I want to get them back to enjoying life.”
Chaney enjoyed going to the award ceremony in June as she felt like she was part of a bigger group of inspirational people.
She feels at home at Greene rehab, “The cardiac rehab is like one big family. Patients continue to work out together and support each other years later. They laugh and inspire each other. They mentor one another. ”
Chaney has two children and her husband works with the Army Corps of Engineering. They have been together for 23 years, and enjoy boating when they aren’t visiting their son in Charleston.
“Greene is like nowhere else,” she added. “Everyone works together with the patient at the center of that care.”
