Pictured from left to right are: Brenda Bridges, Heather Guillen, Beth Eberle and Kelly Purk. Bridges is retiring after 23 years on Sept. 15. Guillen is the new Home Care Aide. She has been a nurse aide for 20 years. Eberle, originally from Traer, has been a RN for 29 years. Purk, is the new RN taking over Home Health Clients. She has been a registered nurse for seven years. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

TAMA COUNTY – With the retirement of previous and current staff, staff positions are being revised and being changed to better meet current job functions and needs of the agency. With the opening of the Home Care Aide Supervisor position, current Public Health employees applied for this position and Beth Eberle, RN, is slated to take on this new role. The Home Care Aide Supervisor position will expand to include taking call and assisting with Nursing visits, communicable disease investigation and follow-up, animal bite follow-up, Vaccines for Children/Immunizations, Maternal Health Visits and assisting with the Nest as needed. With her shifting to a new role, the Public Health office had to seek/hire a new Registered Nurse to take on Beth’s home health duties. Kelly Purk, RN from Tama, started August 7th and is going through extensive orientation to learn all the rules and regulations regarding the different types of multiple funding sources, home health visits, different types of supervisory visits that need to be performed, as well as learning the different public health functions that their office covers. Brenda Bridges, LPN/Home Care Aide, will be retiring September 15th, after 23 years with the agency. Her position is a dual role as she provides foot care clinics as well as home health aide services. Kelly Purk, RN, will be taking on the lead role of organizing the foot care clinics with other agency RN’s assisting as needed. They currently provide these services by going into clients’ homes to do an assessment, trimming toenails, providing diabetic foot care teaching, and referring to their physician or podiatrist as needed. Foot Clinics are performed in clients’ homes with a suggested donation of $10 requested for these services. The Public Health Office is in the process of hiring a new aide to fill Brenda’s home care aide duties.

From left to right (in picture):

Brenda Bridges, retiring September 15, was originally from Chelsea, and now resides in Toledo and has been an LPN for 30 years. Along with being a home care aide she managed our Foot Care Clinics, examining their feet and trimming elderly clients’ toenails in their homes. She has been working at Tama County Public Health & Home Care for 23 years. She has four grown children, one granddaughter and is married to Roberto. Brenda shares that she, “liked being out in the community and among many different people and what we do is different every day”.

Heather Guillen, is our new Home Care Aide, “Hello, I’m Heather Guillen. I’ve been a nurse aide for 20 years. I’m married to Oscar Guillen. We have 4 wonderful kids. In our free time we love to go camping and spending family time together. I am thankful I get to start this new chapter in my life working for Tama County Public Health and Home Care”.

Beth Eberle, originally from Traer, has been a Registered Nurse for 29 years. Her experience includes hospital, long term care, and 21 years with Tama County Public Health and Home Care. Beth shares, “I love that I get a chance to care for everyone in Tama County, from babies to the elderly.” Having lived most of her life in Traer, she has a great understanding of the communities she serves.

Kelly Purk, is our new Registered Nurse taking over Home Health Clients. She has been a resident of Tama since 1991 and has been a registered nurse for 7 years. Her experience includes hospital, long-term care and previous years serving the geriatric population as a Certified Nurses Aide. “I have taken great pride over the years in helping multitudes of people to have the best quality of life possible, while bringing a smile to their face during their most trying times.” “I am excited to be starting the next chapter of my career by helping the people of Tama County to stay in their home longer and get appropriate care without hospitalization.” “I am lucky to be a part of such a great team!” Kelly is married to Joe, has 5 grown children and 6 grandchildren.

With all these changes and keeping up with Medicare/Medicaid rules and regulations, Tama County Public Health & Home Care is wanting to thank our retiring staff for their many years of dedicated service and are looking forward to the new changes/faces this coming fall.

If you would like more information about foot care clinics, home care aide, or home health services, please contact Tama County Public Health & Home Care at 641-484-4788.