'My Inspiration' stories

Curtis Albers, MD
Interventional Pain Management

Dr. Curtis Albers has more than 31 years of experience in the medical field and has provided pain management services at Mary Lanning Healthcare for several years. A Nebraska native and Hastings College graduate, Dr. Albers loves serving the community. He said his dad was a physician and influenced his career choice. “At the core, I just try to make people feel better. I am just trying to help and be a good person. I want to be of value to the community and to my fellow Nebraskans. I enjoy being part of the healthcare team at MLH. They give me the opportunity to practice by providing me with skilled healthcare workers around me. At the endpoint, we are all just trying to help. That is the soul of what we do around here.”

Kerensa Anderson, RN BSN
Med Surg nurse

Kerensa Anderson has worked at Mary Lanning Healthcare for almost 24 years. She started working in Laundry & Linen, then graduated from Creighton School of Nursing in 2003 with RN BSN. “Mary Lanning has always made me feel valued as a person and an employee. I have never wanted to work anywhere else.” Anderson lives in Central City. “I drive past three hospitals on my way to work and I don’t have any desire to work at any of them. Mary Lanning is my home. I love this hospital and I am very proud of us for where we stand in our community and in the country as far as patient care. In this facility, we treat each other with kindness and respect, we are a family and other facilities have made it clear to me, when having to be in other hospitals with family members, that is not the case elsewhere. We are also a teaching hospital. I have been orienting new nurses to our facility and doing preceptorships and internships with students from all colleges for over 20 years now. It is a passion of mine and I have had many students whom I have taken under my wing come back to us as employees because they fell in love with Mary Lanning. Since COVID, we have been blessed with so many traveling nurses who have fallen in love with us and have stayed their full year and tell us that this is the best hospital that they have had an opportunity to travel to. To me that is important. It sends a strong message that we are doing exactly what we need to be doing. For our patients, for their family members and for our employees!”

Abhi Basoor, MD FACC
Interventional Cardiologist, Bryan Heart-Mary Lanning Cardiology, Medical Director for Cardiovascular Services, MLH

Dr. Basoor received his Medical Degree at NSCB Medical College in Jabalpur, India. He specializes in treating heart attacks, heart failure, heart arrhythmias, peripheral vascular disease and peripheral arterial disease. Dr. Basoor is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease. ”Patients in our community are like family and friendly neighbors to me. I enjoy working at MLH, and helping patients stay close to home for various heart and vascular-related procedures. Providing cardiovascular care, and sometimes helping patients either live longer or with an improved quality of life, is very gratifying. All this, along with patient appreciation, really inspires me to work hard in order to provide the best possible care and continue helping people in and around our community.”

Deb Beiringer
Housekeeper

Deb Beiringer has worked at Mary Lanning for four years in the Environmental Services Department. She mainly works on the Second Floor and enjoys working around the new babies and their moms. “Seeing the new babies always makes me smile.”

Katie Blackwell, BA,BS RT (R)(N)
Nuclear Medicine/Diagnostic Imaging

Katie Blackwell is a Nuclear Medicine Technologist at Mary Lanning Healthcare. Katie said she decided in radiology school that she really liked nuclear medicine because it can be both diagnostic and therapeutic. “It’s really rewarding to help with the diagnostic process and help patients get the proper care. Without imaging, they might not get the needed care.” With nucelar medicine, patients sometimes return several times for follow-up testing. “It’s not like they are in and out. We have time to make connections with patients and get their stories because we have longer tests.” Katie said one of her top Gallup strengths is empathy, and she is able to use that strength when giving patients their tests.

Rebecca Eckhardt, CSW
Social Worker

Rebecca Eckhardt, CSW, has been a social worker for 28 years after stumbling on the career after a conversation during her first few days of college. The University of Nebraska at Kearney graduate originally was pursuing a degree in psychology but when she talked with another student who was taking social work classes, she found a new career path. Eckhardt said she sees her role as helping to get patients the resources they need when leaving the hospital. This includes helping patients and their families piece together everything from finances to help in the home or placement in a care home. She said she often thinks about her own life experiences, including the death of her father who died during the summer of her second year in college, when helping patients.

The Rev. Lisa Ewald
Ordained Chaplain

The Rev. Lisa Ewald joined the MLH staff in 2023. She has a Master of Divinity Degree, and said she enjoys working at Mary Lanning because of the positive healing culture and the amazing staff. She said she works to create a sacred space, honoring the spirituality of all patients, families and staff in order to promote healing.

Jessica Guiterrez-Beahm
Nutrition Services Worker

Jessica Guiterrez-Beahm has worked in Mary Lanning Healthcare’s Nutrition Services Department for a little over three years. She said she enjoys the relationships among staff members and the opportunities she has had to grow. She also likes the variety of jobs — answering phones, entering dietary orders, making meals, washing dishes and delivering food to patients. She said she enjoys getting to know people at MLH since she does not have many family members in the Hastings area.

Carol Hamik, RN MSN BSN CPN CPST LSSGB
Nurse Recruiter & Clinical Outreach Director

Carol Hamik worked as a Pediatric Unit nurse and nursing director at Mary Lanning Healthcare for many years before becoming a Nurse Recruiter & Clinical Outreach Director. “Mary Lanning has a strong sense of community and service. When you look at our direct involvement within higher educational degree opportunities, we work together to ‘grow our own’ through bedside experiences to a variety of professions. Our academic environment allows for sharing of knowledge and passion for the job. In my role, I work with high school students who are being introduced to healthcare through new graduates to nurses with experience. These nurses are applying for positions because they want to move back home or closer to family. We believe in growing new staff by providing them a foundation and working through educational opportunities so they feel supported. Having a nursing school is a part of what Mary Lanning offers/partners with as a way to bring those into our facility. Once you walk through our doors, you see the difference in the care received. Maya Angelou says, ‘They may not remember your name, but the will never forget the way you made them feel.’ This is how I see Mary Lanning and the care patients receive.”

Rebeca Hernandez, RN
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Rebeca Hernandez has been an RN for four years at Mary Lanning Healthcare in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). She graduated from Central Community College with her Associate Degree in Nursing in 2019. She has worked at Mary Lanning for six years, two years as a CNA. “My interest in becoming a caretaker came from my youngest brother. He was born with a severe form of cerebral palsy, was wheelchair bound, nonverbal and had no control of any muscles. I am the oldest of three and the only girl in a low-income, Mexican family. It was expected that I take care of my brother when my divorced mom would go to work. It never bothered me because he was my ‘baby.’ His hospitalization and home cares opened a whole new world to me. My mom’s heart wasn’t strong enough to do some of his cares so I was in charge of doing those things. The main reason I wanted to become a nurse was because I thought it was a good-paying job (and I had some insight into it), so I could allow my mom to stop working and she could be a full-time caretaker to my brother. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2014 at age 11. After my first semester of college, I dropped out while I was adjusting to a new, simpler routine without him. I moved to Nebraska and after two years of trying to find myself again, I enrolled in college. It took me six years to get my ADN, but I did it for my brother. Now, I have a passion for helping others.”

Taylor Herrington, RN
Pediatric Unit

Taylor Herrington has worked at Mary Lanning Healthcare for about three years. She started as a pharmacy technician then became a CNA, then LPN and now an RN. “I work at MLH because there is always room for personal growth, and you can learn something new every day. There are endless opportunities at MLH. I never expected to become a pediatric nurse. But once I got to experience taking care of sick kids, I knew I was where I needed to be. MLH also creates a sense of family with co-workers when we are in the trenches of a rough 12-hour shift and knowing your co-workers have your back — especially when it comes to keeping tiny humans alive.”

Jillian Hofmann, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Jillian Hoffman grew up on a farm in Norfolk and attended the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Rehabilitation Studies and a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy in 2012. She lives in Hastings with her husband, Ryan Hoffman, and two daughters, Brynn and Lakynn. She began working at Mary Lanning Healthcare in August 2012. She works primarily in inpatient rehab on the Intensive Care Unit, Total Joint Unit and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). “From a young age, I knew I wanted to be in a healthcare profession where I could spend quality time with patients and help them improve their quality of life. I found occupational therapy to be the perfect fit. Occupational therapy requires sensitivity, understanding and compassion, all the characteristics that I value tremendously. It inspires me to know that I can make a difference in the lives of others, simply by caring for my patients and being aware of their needs and what is meaningful to them. Getting to be such a valued part of our patients’ recovery journey over the last 11 years at Mary Lanning has truly been an honor.”

Five years ago, Hoffman helped develop the therapy program in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Mary Lanning. “As an occupational therapist in the NICU, I work closely with parents and caregivers of infants, working on exercises, infant massage, positioning and sensory stimulation. These exercises impact the infants’ central nervous system development, growth, movement, weight gain and self-regulation. My goal is to help infants thrive after being born prematurely or with a serious illness. As a triplet myself, I felt drawn to working in the NICU. I was born prematurly at 32 weeks and spent more than a month in the NICU in Omaha. I’m living proof of the amazing things that can be done for premature infants. Getting to work as an occupational therapist in the NICU is an extraordinary opportunity that allows me to positively influence tiny humans right from the start, and has truly become my passion.”

Hailey Krull, PT DPT CBIS
Physical Therapist

Hailey Krull grew up on a farm outside of Holdrege. After college, she received a degree in Nutrition, Exercise and Health Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She then received a Doctorate in Physical Therapy at UNMC. After school, she worked in a brain injury and stroke unit in Lincoln for a few years before moving to Hastings to be closer to family. She and her husband farm in Adams County. “When I first moved to Hastings, I was blown away by the resources and medical advances that Mary Lanning has to offer. We are blessed with so many amazing doctors, specialists and healthcare staff that patients come from all over parts of Nebraska and Kansas to receive our care. Patients with complex medical and neurological diagnoses come in weak, sick and often dependent for mobility. I love being able to see the progress these patients make during their short stay at Mary Lanning as they transition to being independent, and back to their old selves. There is something so rewarding about being there to help patients when they are going through some of their worst days and not only helping them recover physically, but also supporting them during this difficult time. I am so proud to be a part of the healthcare team at Mary Lanning.”

Kendra Lipker, RN
Surgery nurse

Kendra Lipker has worked in healthcare for 23 years. She started as a CNA and furthered her education to become a Registered Nurse in 2007. She came to Mary Lanning Healthcare in 2021 and works in the Surgery Department and Recovery Room, as well as the discharge side of Outpatient Surgery. “I went into healthcare because I enjoy working with patients and helping them get better in their time of need. I enjoy working alongside the doctors and other nurses to learn something new every day.”

Jill Poe, CMA
Certified Medical Assistant

Jill Poe has been a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) for more than 13 years, She started at Mary Lanning in the Interventional Radiology Department in June 2022. “Prior to me, there was not a CMA in this department, but MLH was willing to take me on and to allow us to develop and grow my role. I truly enjoy the family atmosphere here at Mary Lanning and the teamwork from not only our department, but all over Mary Lanning. My inspiration is being able to connect with patients, to be able to be a calming and comforting source for them. I want them to know we care about them as people.”

Angie Sullivan
Admission Services

Angie Sullivan works in North Admissions. She has been at Mary Lanning Healthcare for 19 years and loves coming to work every day because she gets to visit with many returning patients, and meet new patients and visitors. “I love letting them know that I am here if they need anything through the visit or even after the visit. I want people to know that I love treating our patients like family and I have the attitude of treating them how I would want my family treated while they are here. It makes my heart happy when patients and visitors walk through the door and we know each other by name and ask how each others’ family is doing. It’s a great sense of family here!”

Jesse Sutton, MOT OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Jesse Sutton grew up farming in Sargent. He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and then went on an out-of-state adventure for three years in Pocatello, Idaho, where he earned my Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy. “My wife and I knew that we wanted to move back to Nebraska when I was done with school, and we both loved the small-town feel and the culture of an agricultural community like Hastings. I started with Mary Lanning in July 2018 and have enjoyed being here. Our pediatric rehabilitation clinic had about 25 patients when I started. We have grown tremendously since 2018, so it has been a lot of fun to watch our clinic grow to where it is now, and the growth that it continues to achieve. I like working at Mary Lanning because we always try to put the patient first in all aspects of care, which leads to patients making better progress, and that is rewarding to be a part of.”

Laura Tanbouza, PA-C
Hospitalist

Laura Stoner was born and raised in Kearney. Her first experience with Mary Lanning Healthcare was when she rotated here as a student with Dr. Bell for neurosurgery. “I loved the friendliness and warmth of all the employees here - even as a student, anyone passing by me in the hallways would smile and say hello! When a hospitalist position opened up here, I remembered how kind everyone had been to me during my rotation, and it was an easy decision to apply for the job!”

“My favorite part about working at MLH still is how friendly everyone is here and the fact that our hospital has the ability to take care of high acuity patients in an area where the need is so great. I also love being able to work so closely with our consulting providers when developing care plans for our patients because in bigger facilities, the hospitalist may not know, personally, the cardiologist or general surgeon who is also taking care of the patient. But here, I say hi to our cardiologists and general surgeons just on the way in to work. I also feel that most of our providers have strong ties to Hastings, so the drive to want to provide excellent care for the community is high.”

“My inspiration for becoming a PA was because of my dad. He was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when I was 15. Although that was very difficult on my family, I was inspired by all the doctors and PAs who cared for him because of how compassionate they were — about my dad’s physical and emotional health. I was so touched by their dedication to their profession that I wanted to help patients physically and emotionally during very vulnerable and scary times. I wanted to be a guiding hand and comforting voice that so many other healthcare professionals were for my family. During PA school, I decided to pursue a career as a hospitalist because I found that a hospitalization can be a time where we find new diagnoses for people and it can be incredibly scary. I felt that I could best use my talents of empathy and support for patients that are in the hospital setting. I also like being able to monitor patients closely and see them improve even over the course of 24 hours, and make adjustments quickly if a treatment plan isn’t working. Lastly, I love being able to solve the puzzle, from start to finish, about what’s going on with a patient, making the diagnosis, implementing a treatment plan, seeing it work/make adjustments, and then creating a safe discharge and follow-up plan, based on every patient’s unique needs.”