Stephanie Thiede: Public Health Nurse, Outagamie County Public Health
Looking back, what personal experiences or milestones have had the greatest influence on your professional success?
Having leadership experience early on in my professional journey as lab manager for an oncology research lab at the University of Wisconsin and then as a health officer for a local health department helped me grow into the person I am today. These experiences at such a young age instilled in me qualities that have made me a better collaborator, advocate and decision maker.
What has been the most rewarding part of your professional journey so far?
I am currently the facilitator for our county’s child death review team. For these meetings, I am able to bring together partners from many sectors including government, health care systems, law enforcement, mental health services, education and human service organizations. Coordinating this collective effort to brainstorm prevention recommendations, promote systems-level change and protect the youth of our community has been incredibly rewarding.
What is one cause or issue that you’re especially passionate about, and why?
I am especially passionate about cancer care and prevention. I have a devastating family history of cancer, and have seen so much suffering in my loved ones. Our agency is working on enhancing our chronic disease program, and I am gathering local data and reviewing evidence-based strategies to increase screening rates in our community.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
How to establish healthy boundaries. A lot of the work I do is mentally and emotionally heavy. During the pandemic, I really went to work on improving my ability to cope. With this awareness, I have been able to manage stress and prevent burnout so much more effectively than in the past. In taking care of myself, I am so much better equipped to care for my clients, families and the community.
Can you share one of the most significant challenges you’ve faced in your career and how you overcame it?
Public health has struggled to maintain the public’s trust in recent years. This has encouraged me to strengthen existing community partnerships and create new relationships with organizations the public does trust. These collaborations have allowed myself and our agency to move forward in our mission to prevent disease, protect health and promote wellness throughout the community. In many ways, even more efficiently and effectively than before.
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