We learned about being inspired by the women in your life. We considered hundreds of nominations in our Remarkable Women contest. Here we share the stories of the finalists.
SCHULENBERG, Texas (KXAN) — Four-year-old twin girls Lainey and Riley hopped onto the exam table at Judy Via's Schulenberg hometown clinic. The girls, their two brothers and their mother drove from Flatonia.
This is one of several towns served by Nurse Wille and her practice, Kocurek & James. Ms. Wille dedicated her life to establishing patient care in rural Central Texas. She is one of the few health care providers providing health care to communities seeking easier access.
Amy Richter, Lynie and Riley's mother, said Via “treats the children like family.” She loves my children as much as I love her. ”
Ms. Wille is also a mother and grandmother herself. She has a master's degree in nursing, is a nurse educator, and has served in many nursing roles, but the inspiration for her life's work is small-town America and its He said it was love for the people who lived there.
Wille and his family put down roots in Flatonia. She helped establish rural health clinics in Flatonia and Schulenberg. This medical care is of paramount importance to people living in this rural area of Central Texas.
“That's important. Without care close to home, people will be commuting to Austin, Katy, Victoria — at least an hour's drive to get there.” Mr. Via said. “These small communities rely heavily on having homegrown clinics close to home for convenience and access to care.”
Wille is well known for making house calls to the most vulnerable patients who are unable to leave their homes.
“Being a rural area, we serve the elderly. People over 65 are our largest population and of course they need the most care,” Wille explained. did.
Mr. Vire believes that building a trusting relationship is paramount, regardless of the patient's age.
“Health care is personal. And when you have to deliver bad news that affects someone's life, it's a very personal thing, and people give you permission to do so and you I trust them to do that,” she said.
That trust, she said, is why she has dedicated more than 40 years to this career. Through her work at Schulenberg Clinic, she has seen generations of families impact these communities every day. However, she also made statewide news in 2003 when she was named Nurse of the Year. And now she can add another honor to her resume as this year's Remarkable Woman nominee.
“It feels amazing and I'm so surprised because there are so many women who are better than me,” she said.
When asked about the most important accomplishment of her career at the clinic, she said, “It's time.”
“Perhaps it's because of their longevity,” Wille said. “I can't believe we're still doing this after 30 years. I'm proud of it.”
