BCHHC

July 30, 2024

Beatrice Community Hospital is proud to announce that Emergency Department Paramedic Jeff VanWinkle was selected this year’s Caring Kind Award Winner.

Selected by a vote of his coworkers, VanWinkle was honored at the hospital’s annual CARE Award Luncheon in July.  He will represent BCH at the Nebraska Hospital Association’s Caring Kind Luncheon in Omaha this October.  Each hospital in Nebraska has the opportunity to select a Caring Kind honoree for statewide recognition.

VanWinkle’s nomination shared praises for his teamwork and compassionate care, stating:  “… He is truly kind to every person who walks through the doors of this hospital, and he treats everyone with respect and empathy. He takes time to get to know his patients and their family members to create a trusting and compassionate environment when providing care. In the ER we sometimes deal with very tragic and sudden situations. I have personally witnessed Jeff provide the most sincere care to family members in a time of great struggle as he offered comfort through detailed explanations, a shoulder to cry on, and as he engaged in prayer with the family members over their loved one. Watching Jeff interact with this family was truly inspiring to me, and was a reminder of the huge impact that nurses and paramedics can have on someone’s life. In addition to his phenomenal patient care, Jeff is an incredible coworker. He is always willing to help others, be patient, knowledgeable, kind and he is a constant reminder to those around him of the kind of employee we should all strive to be. …”

VanWinkle joined Beatrice Fire and Rescue in 1993 and was one of the first two squad members to train to become paramedics in 1997. In 2022, he became the first paramedic hired by BCH to work in the Emergency Department as a member of the nursing team.

VanWinkle and his wife, Lorie, live in Wymore. VanWinkle likes being involved in the community, is a partner in his wife’s flower business in Beatrice and serves in the Wymore Church of Christ ministry. Most importantly, he said he enjoys his new role as grandpa.