Tammy Weihe
Helen Krieger Outstanding Healthcare Provider Award
About the Award: This award recognizes a health care provider who has made a significant contribution to the lives of students and families by providing excellence in healthcare and healthcare education.
Awarded Amount: $1,000
Nominated By: Myrna Mooberry-Stanard, Erin Brubaker, and Victory Haines.
Myrna Mooberry-Stanard: Tammy has a calm and strong presence. I have observed Tammy with students and staff, there is a communication throughout her interaction that she is an advocate for them and truly competent to address whatever issue. She has excellent nursing judgement and it is evident she uses her professional knowledge and experience for planning care. The attributes Tammy possesses reflect the commitment to families and students that this award recognizes. She impacts students and families in a manner of respect and dignity.
Wendy Rau, Health Services Supervisor, says all health service staff are heartfelt leaders. This is true of Tammy. She is also a leader with our computer system "Synergy". She has put forth great effort and continually helps staff with any problem or question.
Erin Brubaker: I am writing to nominate Tammy Weihe for the Helen Krieger Award. Tammy has been a school nurse at Pound for several years now and was previously a school nurse at Zeman. Before coming to LPS Tammy worked for the health department supporting mothers and their babies. Her previous work in public health gave Tammy an understanding of resources and supports, the ability to work collaboratively and be a team player that to this day benefit our students and staff.
Tammy is a leader and an advocate here at Pound Middle School with a desire to grow her knowledge and understanding of what it means to be a school nurse and how best to support students. Several years ago, we followed a couple students long term for concussions. Tammy worked in collaboration with their families, Madonna Rehab, teachers and administrators. I remember her reminding a teacher that a concussion is a hidden illness, there is no visual reminder but that it is still valid and requires accommodations, saying “we wouldn’t ask someone to walk on a broken leg.” Tammy then dove into books and attended conferences on concussions to better develop skills and discover ways to best support students who suffer from concussions. A mother of one of those students called once or twice to update Tammy on how their student was doing in high school.
We have had several students here at Pound who have come out as trans in the last several years. Tammy always advocates for them and supports them and their families while simultaneously empowering them to advocate for their needs. She approaches accommodations and supports in ways many may not think of right away. Changing out for PE? Tammy has a plan. Bathroom use? Tammy has a plan. If a plan doesn’t fit or work quite right for that student or their family, Tammy is a master at tweaking or pivoting it so it works for everybody.
All in all, I know Tammy has not only benefited the lives of our students but also their families and our staff. She builds connections and works collaboratively to create welcoming environments and supports for students so they can be successful and feel safe and empowered at school. Tammy enriches Pound greatly and makes it a wonderful place for everyone.
Victory Haines: In addition to the heroic efforts Tammy Weihe and her staff gave during last year's pandemic, Tammy has continued her dedicated service to staff, students, and families in Southeast Lincoln this school year amidst much change in her life.
This fall Tammy worked with healthcare professionals to ensure the highest care for her aging mother who was battling dementia. While tirelessly contact tracing, excluding COVID positive students, and communicating with students and families about the omnicron variant of COVID, on her own time she was calling in behalf of and advocating for the highest care for her own mother. As cases relaxed, she finally experienced the privilege of getting to see in-person her months-old, only granddaughter in another state for the first time, only to find out during that trip from her mother's care facility that her mother passed away.
While experiencing a lot of highs and lows this past year, Tammy has all the while with a smile and an occasional joke, continued her training of LPS nurses regularly, supported students old and new with a variety of health challenges, and help keep gobs of staff, students and their families safe and healthy amid the ups and downs of a challenging year for health care providers.
Tammy is heads above other candidates because she lives selfless service every day, is a servant leader, and is committed to ensuring herself and others give full attention and care deserved to those in need.
Please read the attached letter and know that there are very few candidates for this award that have done as well of a job as consistently, or with the type of welcoming and caring spirit as Tammy Weihe.
Numerous specific and individual examples of the above and attached attributes are available upon request.
