It is the people who work across our hospital that make quality care, and a great patient experience, possible. They are clinicians, and educators, and advocates for their patients. Caregivers. And they are also devoted to their jobs. Meet some of our team right here.
"Our upgraded cardiac catheterization labs are a big investment in treating patients who have heart attacks or blockages in their arteries. It takes millions of dollars to build these kind of services, but the reward is amazing because it makes it possible to save lives. In heart cases, time is critical. And, to be able to provide this kind of care in a rural area like Key West is very good for our community."
"I love people. I love seeing patients, and I still like doing house calls. It is a privilege to serve the people of Key West. The good part about a family doctor is that they know more about you and your health than other specialists do and also about your family.
In Key West, we're three hours away from a big hospital. I feel for families that work and have to take a child to the doctor in Miami, that means two people don't work for a whole day. We're fortunate to have a number of specialties at Lower Keys Medical Center as well as primary care. "
"Childbirth is the most intimate time in a family's life. It is important to our team to respect the birth plan and experience that the parents want, to support and encourage them, and to make them feel safe.
When that newborn baby arrives, we all celebrate.
It never gets old bringing new life into the world. We are privileged to participate in this incredible experience ‐ every day ‐ and we are proud to deliver beautiful babies at Lower Keys Medical Center."
"I always wanted to be a nurse. I had a serious health issue as a child, and had to be hospitalized for five months. The love that the nurses gave during that time made me want to be a nurse, too.
I'm a fourth generation Conch. I love bedside nursing and I love when people that I know come to our hospital, see a familiar face, and trust that we are going to take good care of them. People who work at LKMC are part of this community and we are really glad that we can provide health and healing to the people who live in our community."
"We have a lot of Hispanic and immigrant presence here. I speak Spanish, so I'm able to interact with these patients. The emergency room can be a little scary. I'm hooking people up to monitors, doing EKGs, and things like that. It's important to be able to explain what's happening to our patients.
My mom went through cancer several years ago, so I understand how important it is to have doctors and nurses who take the time to make patients feel comfortable and supported. It feels like I'm paying some of that forward now. That's what we do at Lower Keys Medical Center."
"We give excellent care to our patients and we are striving for even better care every single day. We analyze our data and look for ways to constantly improve. We're accredited as a chest pain center and a stroke center, meaning we meet guidelines for life-saving treatments. We're the only hospital within 50 miles, so we have to be good at what we do.
As a clinical educator, I'm always working to be sure our nurses are well prepared — especially new nurses — to provide the highest quality care for our patients. And, I'm so proud of our nurses and the care they provide. They truly are skilled, professional, compassionate and committed to taking great care of their patients."
"The cost of living in Key West is higher than many other places. This is my home and I want to be here, but, in the past, I've considered relocating because of how expensive it is here. LKMC put a housing stipend in place a couple of years ago that helps employees like me.
This is my home. Being able to stay here and work here, doing what I love is really important to me. I want to take care of people, especially people I've known my entire life. I'm grateful that our hospital is making that possible for me and other employees."