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Closeup: Lori Chalupa

CHALUPA, ROBERTS

Posted By: Mistina Christner (email)
Date: 7/19/2018 at 10:49:00

Source: Iowa City Press Citizen date unknown

CLOSEUP: LORI CHALUPA

Inspired by Great Care

While it is true that many health care professionals choose their life's work because of family experiences, a specific preference for a particular health care facility is usually not part of that choice - except in Lori Chalupa's case.
"When I saw the kind of care my father received here at UI Hospitals and Clinics, I knew this was the place I wanted to work," she said.
After making that pledge to herself, Chalupa took the next few years to put her dream together.
Now a clerk in Clinical Outcomes and Resource Management (CORM), Chalupa is an Iowa native, but spent several years living and working in California in the medical records department of Mercy General Hospital.
Then, 10 years ago, everything changed.
"I received a late night phone call - the kind of call you never want to receive," she said. Her strong and much-loved father, Dale Roberts, had collapsed on the job at Amana Society Farms.
"Dad had an aneurysm in the brain and even though the doctors operated on him, he experienced a stroke in both hemispheres of his brain, a trauma from which he would not recover," Chalupa said.
"Dr. Christopher Loftus was Dad's neurosurgeon, and his compassion was unbelievable. So were the anesthesiologist and all the nurses who cared for Dad and the entire family," she said.
As heart wrenching as the experience was for Chalupa, she felt lucky to have been with her father when he died. At the time, she didn't have the money to fly home, but the Sisters of Mercy stepped in to help her get back to Iowa. She was also grateful to the first responders who helped her father immediately after he collapsed.
"When I learned how important the role of first responder is, I vowed to become one myself in order to give back to the folks who helped my dad," she said.
Another promise fulfilled. After completing her training in 1994, Chalupa in now a volunteer first responder for Washington County. "The job of the first responder is to provide first aid and stay with the patient until the paramedics arrive," Chalupa said.
"I'm so grateful to everyone who touched Dad's life and I appreciate the kindness of people who helped my family when we were in such need," she said.
In her job with CORM, Chalupa inputs comments from patients who respond to satisfaction surveys.
"I get to see the many ways our staff makes a difference in the lives of our patients every day. That feels really good," she said.


 

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