Three generations of a family have served Methodist and Riley over a period of 77 years. For Methodist nurse Susan Biggs, who will retire on Friday, it’s all about people.
By Maureen Gilmer, IU Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org
Susan Biggs recalls how proud she was of her mother nearly 50 years ago when the widowed mother of three returned to school to earn her nursing degree.
Biggs was in high school at the time. Her father died from complications of type 1 diabetes when she was 10 years old, and her mother continued to serve in the military, raising three children before remarrying.
Noreen Feller has worked for 15 years at Riley Children’s Hospital as a nurse working primarily with orthopedic patients and teaching at the unit.
“She helped start the scoliosis screening program in Indiana,” Biggs said of her mother. “I really admire her.”
She set an example for Biggs, who enjoyed a 45-year career as a nurse and nurse educator (now known as a Nursing Professional Development practitioner) at IU Health Methodist Hospital.
Biggs will retire on Friday.
Biggs’ daughter, Patricia Stanifer, followed in her mother and grandmother’s footsteps and earned her own nursing degree. She joined the team at Riley Children’s Hospital 17 years ago as a PICU nurse, through the years progressing to instructor, counselor, nurse in charge and now an NPD in the emergency department Riley’s rescue.
That’s a total of 77 years of service the three women have given IU Health hospitals.
A photo of the three will be one of the last items to leave Biggs’ Methodist office as she says goodbye to her teams and all those who have made Methodist Hospital her distant home. her home for more than four decades.
SET HER UP FOR SUCCESS
Biggs, who started at Methodist Children’s Pavilion, said she nearly quit nursing in 1980 because of overwork, but a smart, kind manager in another department took the time to talk. with her and lead her on her journey of discovery of love. hemodialysis, kidney transplantation and teaching.
“Because my dad has severe diabetes, my dream is to find a cure.”
She is passing on that dream to a younger generation, including her son, Charles, who works as an engineer focused on diabetes drug manufacturing at Eli Lilly and Co., where her husband, Randy, also works. before retirement. Her daughter-in-law, Erin, is a social worker at the Riley Outpatient Center.
Biggs took on the role of clinical educator in 1987, with multi-year responsibilities in diabetes, kidney, transplant, oncology, resource center, orthopedics, behavioral health, stroke, medical/surgery, acute medicine and comfort care.
She is optimistic about IU Health educators.
“IU’s Health Nursing Professional Development Team is second to none,” says Biggs. “Many clinical educators over the years have mentored and supported me on my journey.”
She has done the same for hundreds of others.
“My joy at work is being with the people I work with and being a small part of their advancement. The people who took care of patients B5/C5, B7 and acute dialysis were a great team, and I will miss them very much.”
“Having connections with others in the unit makes for a stronger team,” she said. It creates trust, which benefits both the patient and the team members.
Perhaps that is why all three of her unit managers have been with her for many years.
“Most of the time I have followed the transition from student to coordinator to management,” says Biggs. “We’ve had a long-term relationship and they trust their relationship with their employees. We know the younger generation doesn’t like to stay in one place for too long, but I’m proud to say that the people in my unit have a lot of tenure.”
“I WAS SAD”
One of the managers ran into Biggs in the elevator last week. Kellie Stull is the clinical manager for B5-C5 – comfort care and renal metabolism – at Methodist. She just celebrated the age of 35lame pantswork commemoration.
“This elevator ride wasn’t long enough,” Stull said when asked to share his thoughts on Biggs. “I am deeply saddened,” she said, her eyes watering at the thought of Biggs retiring. “I will miss her terribly. She knows everything, she keeps everything, she can find everything. I kind of deny it.”
The elevator ride ended too quickly, but Stull continued talking as she stepped outside.
“Sue is nurturing, great attention to detail, excellent tracking, and the heart of a true servant. She is absolutely the best. She has good systems in place and she really cares about her employees and their success.”
Biggs, who has proudly watched Stull rise from student to manager, responded to the praise.
“Kellie is amazing, and her staff loves her.”
As a third generation IU Health nurse, Stanifer can’t help but be proud, especially when she thinks about the impact her mother and grandmother have made over the years.
Educator Riley said: “My mother and grandmother not only helped me choose nursing, but my mother was one of the main reasons I became an NPD. “She influenced me to continue her legacy through NPD and nursing at IU Health.”
Barbara Low was another manager passing by as Biggs was showing a guest the dialysis equipment.
“I count on Sue,” Low said. “She is the keeper of it all. We’ve been working together for maybe 25 years.”
The state-of-the-art dialysis unit, which handles up to 800 acute treatments a month during the worst of COVID, is a far cry from the early days of Biggs working in nearby Wile Hall.
“My first hemodialysis patient was on an RSP coil dialysis machine (she said it looked like a washing machine) in the Wile Hall outpatient unit. In high school, my church raised money for Methodist Hospital to provide dialysis machines.”
At the time, some patients had to travel several hours to Indianapolis for dialysis treatment, she said. Nurses from northern and southern Indiana will visit Methodist to learn about its acute dialysis unit.
Of course, dialysis treatment centers can now be found throughout Indianapolis and cities across the United States.
Daughter’s Pride
When Stanifer and his mother took their last walk through Methodist, she talked about the impact the women in the family had on her nursing career.
“I’m proud they’ve been in the healthcare business – there’s been a lot of ups and downs – and they’ve helped me stay grounded and keep moving forward,” she said. “You find people you can love and let them know that they matter, that they are more than just a number.”
Nurses could be after more money, but when it comes to feeling valued and part of a team, mother and daughter say they take pride in knowing their unit is one of the best.
“I am fortunate to have strong managers and a really team approach,” says Biggs, who has resisted suggestions from her family that she consider retiring during COVID.
“I need to continue to love these people,” she said. “They are my unit, I have to stay with them.”
As she prepares for life outside of Methodist, Biggs looks forward to spending more time with her family, which includes her two children and four grandchildren, her parents and husband.
“I had to pray a lot to make this decision. I’m in a good place right now, but it’s been a journey to get there.”
She laughs as she talks about how she and her husband used to ride on his motorcycle when they were in their 20s, before having a baby. Now, her husband has a new bike, and they’re ready to go back and reclaim the magic.
They have just returned from a trip to Scotland, are heading to Tennessee this summer and are planning a trip to Israel in September. Between travels, she plans to “explore and learn new things”, volunteer more for the Gleaners Food Bank, the National Kidney Foundation and her church, and spend quality time in his garden.
As she closed her nursing career, it became clear that she wouldn’t trade her experience for the world.
“I love being a small part of this special family. I am honored and fortunate to have worked at Methodist Hospital throughout my nursing career.”
Image provided by Mike Dickbernd, IU Health image journalist, mdickbernd@iuhealth.org
