Meet Mark.
Mark is a physical therapist at Upland Hills Health. He became a physical therapist in his 30s, after working in a store that sold and rented walkers, canes, wheelchairs and other items. Mark realized that he wanted to work more directly with the people he saw to help them improve their independence for more fulfilling lives.
Over the years, he has worked with a wide age-range of patients, from kids in the schools to nursing home residents. Now, Mark works mostly with patients who have had a stay in the hospital, helping them regain mobility to safely return home. “Working in rural healthcare has allowed me to work with entire families that are also my neighbors. Over time I’ve seen the amazing gains that patients’ hard work can accomplish. I once worked with a man in his 90s who lost a leg. He was eventually able to walk with a prosthesis and return to his home,” Mark said. Reflecting on his career and life journey, he added, “You never know where life will lead you!”
Meet Josh.
Josh started at Upland Hills Health as an Emergency Room Technician while attending college. After completing nursing school, he accepted his current position as a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department.
Working at Upland Hills Health gives Josh the chance to connect personally with the patients he treats, and with his coworkers, whom he describes as “inspiring” and considers family. Speaking specifically about his physician coworkers, he says, “I’ve worked with many physicians and Madison Emergency Physicians (MEP) are the best. They are extremely competent and among the most generous individuals I have ever met.”
When he’s not working in the Emergency Department, Josh volunteers with the Mineral Point Rescue Squad, works as Deputy Coroner for Iowa County, and spends time with his wife and son.
Meet Trish.
Trish has been a certified occupational therapy assistant for 30 years, and works with residents and patients in the Nursing and Rehab Center at Upland Hills Health. She enjoys getting to know residents and families and helping patients return home after a rehab stay.
Trish recently completed a course offered in partnership between Southwest Tech and Upland Hills Health, to earn her Certified Nursing Assistant degree. When she is not assisting residents and patients through occupational therapy, she now fills in for her CNA colleagues to assist residents and patients in other ways.
Meet Ashley.
Ashley started as a CNA and Restorative Aide in the Nursing and Rehab Center at Upland Hills Health, then as Health Unit Coordinator at the Nursing and Rehab Center. While working in that position, scheduling the nurses, CNAs and office staff, and other administrative duties, Ashley graduated from Southwest Tech with her physical therapist assistant degree. She now works in the Upland Hills Health Therapy department.
“I love working at Uplands Hills Health because everyone has become like family. I have been so appreciative of the support from my co-workers and UHH throughout my schooling.”
Meet Katie.
Katie is the Culinary Services Manager at Upland Hills Health. She has had a long career in culinary service and brought her talents to Upland Hills Health just this year.
“Everyone is pleasant to work with. UHH focuses on educating staff and creating a good work culture,” she said. “UHH has a good reputation as an employer and that influenced my decision to take this position.”
Katie holds a degree in Culinary Management and enjoys learning alongside the rest of the culinary services staff.
“Working in a hospital doesn’t always mean having the “typical” hospital food. We have a lot of talented people in the kitchen that make some great meals for the café and special functions, and I’m happy to be working with them.”
Meet Andrea.
Andrea has been a part of the Mineral Point and Dodgeville Medical Centers for 20 years, and as the clinic manager since 2013. While she knew she wanted to work in healthcare since high school, she wasn’t sure what area until she began a program in medical management and found that she really enjoyed it. After working in Madison for a short time, she found her place at Mineral Point Medical Center, which became Mineral Point Medical Center of Upland Hills Health in October 2018.
“Over the years, I’ve had the chance to work with some really amazing staff and providers. Every day, I am able to witness the passion, desire, dedication and integrity of all of them. They inspire me to do better and be better to ensure that our patients are taken care of every single day. We are very fortunate to have such wonderful providers in Southwest Wisconsin,” Andrea said.
We are grateful and fortunate that Andrea is part of the Upland Hills Health team!
Meet Chad.
Chad joined Upland Hills Health as a chef in culinary services just this year, after a 10-year career working in food service at the Wisconsin Secure Program Facility. He has a degree from Southwest Tech in culinary business and a degree from UW Platteville in communications.
“Each day is inspiring,” he explained. “Each day I create food that other people WANT to eat. It is a joy to continue to do that, and to receive genuine thanks for it.”
You may also recognize Chad’s voice. He has worked in radio as a side job for many years and is currently a DJ on WDMP, D99.3 out of Dodgeville.
We are thankful that Chad has chosen to bring his wit and culinary skills to Upland Hills Health and make people smile every day.
Meet Katie.
Katie has been with Upland Hills Health since 2011, first as a CNA on the Medical-Surgical floor of the hospital, then as a CNA in the Nursing and Rehab Center. Those experiences allowed her to be accepted into the accelerated nursing program through UW-Oshkosh, where she was able to complete all her clinical hours at UHH. Her clinical hours included a rotation with the Nursing and Rehab Center, Med-Surg, Hospice, OB, and ICU. After completing her degree, Katie was offered her current position as a Registered Nurse on the patient floor of the hospital. She has also been a volunteer for Upland Hills Hospice since 2012.
“UHH feels like home to me. I enjoy working on a unit that allows me to spend time with the patients, sometimes for days at a time. There are times when patients come in and are barely able to walk and talk, but then after a few days, I am able to watch them walk out the door smiling,” Katie said.
She continued, “Some of my most memorable and profound moments come from caring for patients and their loved ones at the end of life. In these types of situations, there is a close relationship built with not only the patient, but the family as well, and they are allowed to be involved with as much of their loved one’s care as they are comfortable with. It is an honor to be there for others at a time when it is needed the most.”
Katie is a first generation nurse and the only person in her family to have pursued a career in the medical field and Upland Hills Health is proud to be her career home.
Meet Maggie.
Maggie has been on the Environmental Services team at Upland Hills Health since 2010, and added CNA in the Nursing and Rehab Center to her resume last year, after completing her degree in 2015.
“I take great pride in keeping the hospital and nursing home clean and tidy. It’s nice meeting people and helping them feel better by maintaining a clean environment for them. I love being there for others and their families–chatting with residents, making them laugh and doing the little things that make a difference in their lives,” she said.
“I like working here because the people I work with are amazing and treat each other like a family. There’s team work across all locations at Upland Hills Health.”
Meet Stuart.
Stuart is a physical therapist at Upland Hills Health in Dodgeville and at the Upland Hills Health Mount Horeb Clinic. He works with patients ranging from pre-teens to geriatric age, to improve symptoms from neck pain to foot pain and everything in between.
“I get inspired by the people who come in and are motivated to get better and determined to work hard, even if the odds are stacked against them,” he said. “And I enjoy the caring and positive energy that I get to experience every day here at Upland Hills Health.”
Stuart is a shining example of the amazing therapists at Upland Hills Health in Dodgeville, in Mount Horeb, in Barneveld and in Spring Green that are dedicated to working with patients to help them get back to where they want to be, every day.
Meet Chelsea.
Chelsea has been a Patient Access Specialist for the last two years, but has been with Upland Hills Health far longer. She began her career as a CNA in the Nursing and Rehab Center in 2009 and then transitioned into patient access.
Chelsea is the first face many Emergency Department patients see when they come in and she loves meeting new people and helping them in their time of need.
“My coworkers and the culture is what makes UHH a nice place to work. I am constantly learning something new. I have opportunities to work on a variety of projects, both in my department and working with other departments, and see them to completion,” she said.
Living close to work is a plus for Chelsea as well. The short commute and connections she makes every day with people help her feel more connected to the community. “This is a place that cares about the people and the area they serve in. When I go home, I can feel good about my work and motivated to return for my next shift and do it again.”
Meet Kendra.
Kendra is a Registered Nurse in the Surgery Department at Upland Hills Health and grew up in the Ridgeway area. She enjoys her days helping patients, many of whom she knows, during a time when they can feel really vulnerable. “I’ve always wanted to work locally and give back to our communities, helping my family and friends. It’s very rewarding,” she said.
We are fortunate that Kendra is part of the compassionate staff in our Surgery department that delivers skillful and genuine care to patients.
Meet Aaron.
Aaron is an Occupational Therapist at Upland Hills Health, although he doesn’t always work with patients at the hospital. He works with patients of all ages within the hospital, but also provides therapy to students at Barneveld School, in the Nursing and Rehab Center, and to Home Care patients.
“My job it to help people of all ages participate in things they want to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). I like OT because we help people function in any environment (school, home, community) by addressing cognitive, psychological, and physical aspects of their well-being through engagement in occupation,” he explained.
Aaron finds inspiration in helping to make the patient or their caregiver’s life easier, and enjoys that he gets to work in various environments.
“Being in a rural hospital setting, there’s a lot of opportunity to work in a variety of settings to keep my skills sharp across the spectrum. Working in a variety of settings keeps me from getting bored or burned out. And, my coworkers are excellent. We are always willing to help each other out, and we laugh and have a lot of fun overall.”
Meet Jillian.
As an occupational therapist at Upland Hills Health, Jillian gets to see victories every day. She works with students in area schools, and with kids in our outpatient therapy center in Dodgeville.
“I was recently inspired and motivated by one of my outpatient kiddos who, after I praised him for all of his hard work and accomplishments, replied, ‘I never could have done it without you!’ Helping children and their families reach their goals and be successful in school, at home, and in the community is my ultimate goal as an occupational therapist,” she said. “All children, regardless of disability, diagnosis, or challenges they experience deserve the chance to play and be a kid and have independence. I get to teach through play for my job; could it get any better?’
Jillian grew up in Dodgeville and after college and career experiences in Milwaukee and Detroit, she and her husband made their way back home. “I like being able to serve children and their families in a rural setting to decrease the burden of commuting long distances for therapy services. We have experienced and skilled occupational, physical, and speech therapists right here at UHH!”
Meet Susan.
Susan has worked in the medical field in patient service for more than 20 years. Her role in patient access at Upland Hills Health was a change from the clinic setting she used to work in, but she gets the same enjoyment from it.
“The most rewarding part of Patient Access is being able to help people when they need it most. When I can help eliminate that fear of the unknown for the patient or family member, I know that peace of mind I provided is one less thing they have to worry about. Now they can focus on feeling better,” she said.
Susan also enjoys the history the hospital holds for people. She has heard countless stories from people who stop in just to look around at how much the hospital has grown and changed.
“I can honestly say I enjoy coming to work every single day.”
We are proud to have Susan available to give patients a great first impression of Upland Hills Health!
Meet Jeff.
Jeff has been a pharmacist at Upland Hills Health since 2010, full time since 2014. He worked in retail pharmacy at Corner Drug, Hometown Pharmacy in Dodgeville before joining Upland Hills Health full time, and was recently promoted to Pharmacy Director.
“I enjoy the variety that my position provides, including inpatient care, outpatient and hospice medication management and the ability to serve on a variety of administrative and patient care related committees. No day is exactly like the one before it and that is something that keeps me interested and engaged,” he said.
Jeff is inspired by the environment at Upland Hills Health, the healthy lifestyle that UHH promotes for employees and particularly, the small daily interactions that he has with patients and co-workers. For him, it’s worth the drive from Middleton.
“My coworkers make coming to work each day fun and exciting.”
Meet Megan.
Megan started her career at UHH as a CNA on the Med/Surg floor in December of 2004. When she began pursuing her nursing degree at Southwest Tech in Fennimore, she continued to work as a CAN at Upland Hills Health. In 2008, Megan took a position as a RN caring for patients in the hospital. When the opportunity that she dreamed of, becoming an OB nurse, came, she knew that was her path.
“I love working at UHH because of the willingness that everyone has to work as a team and being such a close knit family. My most inspiring moments here at UHH are helping families bring a new life in to the world. It is an honor being a part of family growth and their pride and joy!”
Meet Becky.
Becky describes the path to her role caring for patients in the hospital as a CNA at Upland Hills Health as a bumpy one, but feels she’s landed just where she was meant to be. Her desire to care for people and make a positive impact on them led her down a path in criminal justice first, then ultimately led her to a career in healthcare.
“Each day brings new challenges, triumphs, tribulations, and goals. And this is why I love working at UHH. The cohesive bond that is this staff working together, tackling, learning, and growing as a unit,” she describes. “I feel like I’m part of a family here, and I love that.”
Becky is passionate about using her life to serve people. She is a certified labor and post-partum doula and has served couples as a surrogate mother in addition to her CNA career. Becky’s passion and positive attitude certainly impacts her co-workers and patients and we are fortunate that she chooses Upland Hills Health to share it!
Meet Molly.
Molly started her career path at Upland Hills Health when she was still in high school, through a job shadow experience in the Lab. “I was instantly interested in the makeup of blood on a cellular level, and all components that are involved in producing a test result. I realized then that I wanted to pursue that as my career,” she explained.
While working toward her degree as a Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), Molly worked as a phlebotomist at UHH. She graduated in 2014 and started working at UHH as an MLT. The diversity of the testing done in the lab at Upland Hills Health keeps Molly’s job interesting, and gives her many opportunities to meet her daily goal of helping patients feel comfort and compassion.
“Knowing that each day our team works towards that, makes it such a refreshing and positive place to work at,” she said. “Each day I witness various departments working together to provide the best care possible, and I am proud to be a part of that.”
Meet Taylor
Before Taylor landed her current role as a Radiology Technologist, she was already a familiar face at Upland Hills Health. She is one of many employees whose journey at Upland Hills Health began as a student. She had her clinical application at Upland Hills Health for roughly a year and a half before passing her Radiography Board exam and joining the Imaging staff as a PRN Technologist. Since becoming full time Taylor has gained another credential, and is now board certified in both Radiography and Computed Tomography.
“I have lots of inspiring moments here at UHH. The moments I really cherish are when I can make a patient’s day better or easier. Going that extra step for the patient not only makes their experience better, it also makes me feel good to have put a smile on their face or hear how grateful they were for my care.” stated Taylor. She also described the comfort of being part of a small and consistent team “I enjoy working at UHH mainly because of the working environment. I know my close coworkers as friends as well as fellow employees. I also take comfort in knowing the people I work with, their preferences and how they operate.”
Taylor has been a positive asset to our Imaging team even before she became an official member of our Imaging department. Her dedication to her team and her work is a classic trait that makes Upland Hills Health employees an exceptional group.
Meet Nate
Nate is a physical therapist at Upland Hills Health. Upland Hills Health has been his home, except for a year hiatus, since he graduated from PT school in 2003. Nate didn’t always know he’d be a physical therapist though. While pursuing a degree in History, Nate’s experiences with athletic training and physical therapy as a college football player inspired him to take anatomy and physiology classes and explore the field of physical therapy, which he found was a good fit for him.
“I have a great bunch of co-workers at UHH. It’s a really tight knit group. And I really enjoy getting to know patients and helping people in the area in which I live,” he said. “It’s really satisfying seeing patients overcome difficult situations and sometimes long odds to regain quality of life through their will and hard work. I’m fortunate to be able to be a part of that process.”
We’re proud to have Nate on our team of talented and compassionate physical therapists!
Meet Jenny
Jenny started in the kitchen at Upland Hills Health in February 2017 and was hired on a permanent basis by May.
“One of the reasons I like working here is my coworkers have answers to my questions or have a ready explanation if there’s something I don’t understand. One of my most inspiring moments is signing up for the ambassador program and trying to make a difference in the communities we serve.
I try to live up to the motto ‘I didn’t choose healthcare, healthcare chose me’ each and every day I come to work.”
Jenny’s positivity and hard work bring so much to her co-workers at Upland Hills Health—we are lucky to call her part of the team!
Meet Courtney.
Courtney has been with Upland Hills Health for 13 years and her career path has taken her through three departments.She starting working in the kitchen at 16, earned her CNA license, spent some time working in the Nursing and Rehab Center, and transitioned to Materials Management in 2015.
“Upland Hills Health is a wonderful organizations to work for. I have met so many wonderful people working her the past 13 years, and I’ve learned so much from working in different departments across the hospital.”
We’re proud to have been Courtney’s work family for more than a decade, and look forward to working with her for years to come!
Meet Robert.
Robert has been a familiar face at Upland Hills Health staff for more than 10 years, as a member of the Information Systems department and a lifelong Iowa County resident. When Robert is not helping staff, patients or visitors with their computer issues, he is keeping the hospital server and workstation infrastructure running and up-to-date with the latest fixes and patches. He also handles networking and internet access issues that occur at the hospital, works on the firewalls, routers and switches that the hospital and clinics use to stay connected.
“The first time I can remember coming here was when my grandfather stayed at the hospital after an accident, when I was a small child. The hospital has changed in many ways since then, but the caring attitude of the staff and physicians have never wavered from when I was a child. I enjoy working here because the people make it a great place to work. I also enjoy the camaraderie and support we have together in the Information Systems department (IS),” Robert said.
Meet Kelly
Kelly’s role as a registered nurse in the Birthing Unit at Upland Hills Health was a natural fit. “I grew up with UHH as part of my family,” she explained. Kelly’s mother Julie was an RN at Upland Hills Health for many years, so Kelly was no stranger to the hospital. In her 10 years at Upland Hills Health, Kelly has served in the Birthing Unit, in Pre-surgery and post-surgery and as a Float RN. During her time as a Float she realized that obstetrics is her passion and returned to her roots in the Birthing Unit, in 2014.
“The most inspiring moments I’ve experienced are unfortunately found in the most emotionally charged situations. When an unexpected emergency happens I have seen co-workers from many different areas arrive and provide skilled assistance in our moment of greatest need. The skill level and teamwork of the professionals we work with is unparalleled and something I am proud to be a part of here at UHH,” Kelly said.
We are proud that Kelly chose to continue the family connection with Upland Hills Health and are happy to call her part of the team that supports growing families in Iowa County and beyond.
Meet Lance.
Lance was busy preparing for an internship after completing a graduate degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology when he heard about a potential job opening at Upland Hills. “The ability to work one-on-one with people with heart or lung problems was exactly what I was looking for. The individualized programming that Upland Hills had to offer patients aligned perfectly with how I envisioned providing care. The individualized care that I can provide, and is encouraged, at UHH is the ideal scenario for rehabilitation of the heart, body, and mind. Apart from that, but at the foundation of what we do, is the support for personal and professional development. I feel empowered to better myself, in attempt to better our program, and ultimately improve the health of every person that we work with.”
We are so happy that Lance found his professional match with Upland Hills Health—and that we get to watch him help and inspire patients in his unique way every day.
