She is one of three family members who work at IU Health and she has a motto: “Act as if you were a patient.”
By IU Health Senior Journalist, TJ Banes, tfender1@iuhealth.org
On any given day, Kellie Tillotson can juggle up to 25 procedures. Working alongside a group of people she calls “The Unsung Heroes,” Tillotson is an anesthesiology nurse, caring for patients at IU Medical University Hospital and Simon Cancer Center.
She has worked with IU Health through four name changes and a career spanning 33 years that includes positions in the infectious diseases department of Riley Hospital and the neurology department of IU Health West Hospital.
“I love that nervous team. “The doctors and their patient care are amazing, but seven months ago, I felt like switching to surgery,” says Tillotson. Part of that appeal comes from personal experience.
The cancer diagnosis led to multiple surgeries and treatments at IU Medical University Hospital.
“They did a great job taking care of me. I feel very comfortable walking out of the surgery and I know they don’t often go unnoticed – in part because they’re with the patient while we’re asleep,” says Tillotson. She entertained the staff to show her appreciation and then confidently joined the team.
She quickly recognized Dr. Aladdin Hassanein of IU Health for his professionalism and personal commitment to her surgical needs.
She joins her twin sister, Jamie Birkle and her daughter, Janikka Tillotson in the unit. Birkle is the senior innovation team leader and Tillotson is the team leader, certified surgical technician.
I sometimes joke that this is “Kellie’s Family” because I always recruit family and friends to join IU Health. “Sometimes people don’t see what’s going on in surgery because it’s not public,” says Tillotson. She talked about how a patient came in for a procedure on his birthday, and the group staged a “Happy Birthday” chorus before his surgery.
“I often ask: ‘Have you been a patient, or do you know anyone who hasn’t been?’ I think that explains why everyone deserves the best care and we should always strive to impact lives in a positive way,” says Tillotson.
“As one of the old but kind employees, I explain my role like this: ‘You should treat every day like Christmas morning. Every day is a gift and some days you might get the gift you’ve been waiting for, and other days you might get the gift you’re not so excited about but every day you should still hope for the best. .’”
