Montana VA Health Care System
Nurse promotes healthy living, receives Hands and Hearts Award
Helen Williams (right) was named VA Montana's 2010 Hands and Hearts Award winner. The former Air Force officer is a registered nurse and manages the VA's Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Veterans Health Education programs throughout Montana.
A nurse for the past 20 years, Helen Williams has plenty of experience helping others. Today, the former Air Force officer conducts the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP) and Veterans Health Education (VHE) programs for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Montana Health Care System.
"I am rewarded by helping others," Williams said. "Even if it's one Veteran with a positive story – that keeps me going. That fills my sails."
Williams was recently named VA Montana's 2010 Hands and Hearts award winner for her work helping Montana's Veterans achieve healthy lives. The award recognizes VA employees whose dedication to Veterans is marked by the highest standards in patient care.
"She has demonstrated her ongoing passion to communicate with Veterans in a way that they can understand," said Ruby Riesland, Education Coordinator at VA Montana, who nominated Williams for the award. "Her consistent caring manner provides an excellent role model for other staff for compassion and caring."
As the HPDP and VHE program coordinator, Williams develops ways to enhance the Veteran's education and care. She also served as the MOVE nurse where she taught Veterans weight management and nutrition classes.
"This is about changing the culture of medicine from one where you come in only when you're sick, to being proactive and preventing," Williams said. "It's about helping the Veteran take an active role in their care and having a better understanding of their health."
Williams said she's honored by the award, but said it's been a collective effort from her coworkers that has made her accomplishment possible.
"I'm just one of many that should be recognized," she said. "It's the team looking at positives in each other and finding the Veterans at the center of patient care."
