National Nurses Week Spotlight

This year in particular, National Nurses Week gives us the chance to recognize the nurses treating and protecting the most vulnerable as we navigate this public health crisis. At Wellframe, we wanted to shine a spotlight on our own Sheila Fitzgerald, who helps nurse care managers on our platform do their best work—while also serving her community as a clinical nurse.

There are so many issues surrounding health management and as clinicians many of them cause great frustration. The community I work in as a clinical nurse is a disproportionate share community, so there is a lack of access to healthcare. It is sad when you see patients come in who are extremely ill because they have not had access to the care and support they need to manage their health day to day. From the beginning they are not set up for success. 

Many of their issues are preventable or manageable if only they had better access. I am optimistic that through opportunities such as Wellframe more people will be able to get the health education and resources they need to live long healthy lives.  

I have always had an interest in digital health management and the positive impact it can play on helping people manage their health at home. Having the opportunity to work with other clinicians in order to help people get the care and support they need has been an amazing and fulfilling experience. 

Over my 18 years as a nurse I have had the opportunity to work both at the bedside and in healthcare management. This positions me to provide insight into change management as healthcare teams adopt digital health management. Because of my experience I’m able to meet the clinicians where they’re at—I understand their barriers and the impact they are trying to make with patients. This common understanding leads to a great working relationship that enhances the adoption of our digital health platform. I am honored and pleased to work with such great clinicians who share my desire to use digital to impact the health of more people in need of support. 

I work with clinicians to identify how they should best use the Wellframe technology to support the patients they care for. Through the relationships I build with the clinicians, we develop plans and workflows that allow them to provide impactful and valuable care management to their members in ways they have not been able to do before. We also identify ways subclinical team members can help take work off care managers’ plates, allowing the nurses to practice even more at the top of their license.