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Award honors legendary nurse
Jenny West belonged to the first group
of continuum of care nurses at The
University of Kansas Hospital. Nurses
in this relatively new role help patients
make a seamless transition from inpatient
to outpatient care. It’s a complicated
role, balancing the needs of
patients, the hospital, doctors and insurance
companies.
Around the time this type of care
was first established, about 1997, Janice
Sandt, clinical nurse coordinator at the
Hospital, met Jenny. Sandt said Jenny
often came in early and stayed late.
“Jenny was a legend at KU Hospital,”
she said. “She was a kind and caring
person. She would walk down the halls
starting before sunrise with a smile.”
Jenny learned she had lung cancer
in 2011, and had a lung removed and
completed chemotherapy. She returned to
work six months later, her long workdays
shortened to accommodate her health.
Charles West, Jenny’s husband, said,
“She loved the nursing profession, and
she especially loved KU. She wouldn’t
have considered working anywhere else.”
In January 2012, she had to stop
working completely because of a hip fracture.
Sandt organized a memory book for
Jenny and was overwhelmed by the number
of contributions. She then decided to
create an award in Jenny’s honor. “Jenny
is somebody who you do these kinds of
awards for,” she said.
With the help of colleagues, families
and friends, the annual award was
established to provide $1,000 to one fulltime
nurse who works in nursing clinical
excellence, case management or another
expanded nursing role at KU Hospital.
Jenny died shortly after the award
was created. She was touched that her
friends wanted to create the award in
her honor, and she liked the idea of
recognizing nurses in continuum of care,
Sandt said. More than 50 donors have
given more than $7,540 to the award
fund; to create an award for nurses in
perpetuity, it must reach $25,000.
“Jenny’s energy and presence changed
the lives of those around her,” Sandt said.
“She will be a hard act to follow.”
— Jessica Sain-Baird
YOU CAN HELP
Nurses touch many lives. To support
the Jenny West Continuum of Care
Nursing Award, contact Courtney
Johanning, 913-588-4704 or
cjohanning@kumc.edu, or visit
kuendowment.org/jwest.
Jenny West was a member
of the Brainsaver team at
the 2006 Kansas City Heart
Walk in support of the
American Heart Association.
courtesy of Janice Sandt
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