Tammy Pertile, Oncology Clinic Director for UP Health System – Portage, pictured with her family at the awards presentation.

“Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation as any painter’s or sculptor’s work … It is one of the Fine Arts: I had almost said, the finest of Fine Arts.” 

– Florence Nightingale

In 2005, Gertrude Decker Hellman was a patient and the wife of a Portage Health board member. During her stay at Portage, the patient and family were very impressed with the quality and compassionate care that she received. They decided that they wanted to recognize nursing by creating an ongoing yearly excellence in nursing recognition award.

While we have such an excellent nursing staff overall at UP Health System – Portage, which makes this a difficult choice every year, we look for that special nurse who embodies the following:

• Provides Excellent Patient Care
• Is Recognized by patients both in surveys and verbally in person
• Is Recognized by coworkers as a valuable team member

Although we feel that we are so lucky to have such a wonderful team of nurses here at Portage, that provide warm, compassionate care to our patients, we are proud to announce that the 2021 recipient of the Gertrude Decker Helman award is Tammy Pertile, Oncology Clinic Director for UP Health System – Portage.

Tammy has been employed at UP Health System-Portage for 10 years and in those 10 years has dedicated herself to providing quality and compassionate care to friends, family and neighbors that are going through—sometimes significant–health journeys.

Over the past year, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, Tammy navigated through a transitional year in her department with staffing shortages that have led to scheduling challenges. In true, selfless compassion for her patients, this nurse put her summer on hold to make sure that patients could continue to receive the critical care they needed. As we continued to work through a thin staffing schedule, her comment was, “If I don’t come in and provide care to our patients then who will?”

She knew how it important it was that our patients continue with their medication management and how much of a hardship it would cause them if they needed to find care elsewhere.  This is a testament to the relationships she has developed with our patients, and the kind and respectful care that she provides them as if they are family. Her coworkers all care about her as well, and want to make sure that she is supported in her efforts to provide quality, safe patient care.  You can tell that she is highly respected among the team she works with. Tammy is always focused on providing the best care for her patients whether it is keeping a close eye on them while they are receiving medication management or if it is working with other departments to streamline workflow to improve upon safety and patient experience.

Patients have recognized this care and dedication:  Some quotes include, “she is very good and explains stuff. If you need anything, she gets if for you,”  “She never misses a beat,” “She is the best one there. If she ever leaves, I will follow,” “Just a great person.”

It is those times that we are pushed to our maximum capacity that shows what we are truly made of– and Tammy Pertile, in the face of a pandemic and staffing changes, has displayed her true moral character with the compassion, empathy and respect that she provides to those she cares for every day.