Photo By Jennifer Scales | Kathryn Walker, an RN Case Manager at the William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical...... read more read more
Jennifer Scales
Dorn VAMC Public Affairs Office
Returning Veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn were most likely welcomed into the Veteran Affairs system six years ago by the bubbly persona presented in the form of registered nurse case manager, Kathryn Walker at the Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center.
To this day, Walker, a native of Bluefield, W. Va., still maintains ties with many of them but now as the RN Transitional Case Manager for Florence, Orangeburg, and Sumter Community-Based Outpatient Clinics.
“I am the first person many of the new Veterans see after their discharge or transfers,” Walker said. “We are the first face countless meet when it comes to informing and guiding them to the services they need after life in the military, as they may come to us with financial difficulties, traumatic brain injuries, mental health issues, and dental concerns, just to name a few.”
As a transitional case manager, Walker finds her job issuing countless Veteran referrals into rehabilitation services to get Veterans going in a continued, value-filled life.
But Walker assists Veterans of any era, not just those of the more recent headline making encounters of the past 20 years.
Veterans from the older conflicts still face many challenges, which Walker embraces head-on.
“When it comes down to homeless Veterans, one of my first concerns is to get them into a place that is safe,” Walker said.
In her own words, the Veterans like her. “I go the extra mile. Even though I might not be the doctor, being the ‘middle person’ to get them to see that medical person helps. I like it when a plan comes together, especially through networking,” Walker said.
Walker and her husband Gary, a retired Civil Service employee, have found themselves in assignments in Seoul, Korea and Germany before settling in South Carolina.
Even though her high school Alma Mater rests with Bluefield High School, Walker did make frequent treks to live part of her younger life in a Eau Gallie, Fla., which is mostly referred to now as Melbourne.
With a flair for the arts and crafts, Walker attended Melbourne Technical School, achieving an Associates degree in Arts. With acquired skills, Walker hung out with the tigers, cougars, and panthers in the Melbourne Zoo, taking photos in the cages with them and their caretakers! “When we are young, we don’t think about the consequences of what we do,” Walker commented on these actions.
She also is known around the medical center for her knack of making beautiful silk flower arrangements, which brings the enjoyment to her of a smile from the recipients.
As time permits, she also enjoys drawing, painting, and sculpting.
Cochise College in Sierra Vista, Ariz., presented Walker with her Associates degree in Nursing. Following this degree came her graduation with honors with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of South Carolina.
In addition to her regular nursing attire, Walker says she must sometimes put on her ‘fireman’s hat’ for the Veterans. “They put a lot of trust in me to help them get resolution, and I enjoy what I do.”
“I want to help make a difference…a change in life for Veterans,” Walker surmised. “I’d like to make a change where Veterans are safe and still getting care. If that is not happening, then I want to find a solution for them. If it means I have to ‘stir the pot’, so to speak, I don’t mind doing it, because in the long run, it’s all about showing care for the Veterans.”
| Date Taken: | 07.12.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 07.12.2017 13:41 |
| Story ID: | 240897 |
| Location: | COLUMBIA, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 116 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Bluefield native continues to make a difference for Veterans, by Jennifer Scales, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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