Schmitz Retires After 35 Years

A retirement party is being held on June 10, at 5:30 p.m. to honor Sharon Schmitz's 35 years of service to Roosevelt Medical Center. Weather permitting, the celebration is taking place on the patio, but will be moved inside if necessary.

"I think everyone is going to miss her. She was not just a co-worker who wore so many hats, but a friend, a supportive person, someone to look up to who was great at what she did, and always did it with her fiery passion," said Amber Bond, Clinic Coordinator.

For the last three-and-a-half decades, Sharon Schmitz has watched the healthcare industry grow and change. This month, she is retiring from her role at Roosevelt Medical Center as Business Manager for 34 years and as the Better Health Improvement Specialist for the last year. But, she has no plans of slowing down.

"My husband Gene and I are at the age where we are old enough to retire and want to enjoy our time while we are still young enough and able enough to do the things we have always dreamed of," she said. They also want to spend more time with their children and grandchildren.

As excited as she is about spending more time with family, Schmitz will miss the staff who have come to be her extended RMC family. "The greatest highlight of my career is the quality of people I have gotten to work with," she said. "I think the people here are just wonderful. I have depended on them over the years and I treasure those friendships that have been forged along the way," she added.

Schmitz began her career at RMC in 1980, but not as the manager of the business office. She first began working in the housekeeping department and after six months moved into the new clinic where she worked as a medical assistant and receptionist. There, she was instrumental in helping design and implement policies and procedures and certifying the RHC in 1992. Her work provided a perfect background for her to take on the role as business office manager beginning in 1998.

In her earliest years at RMC, the organization consisted of two hallways dedicated to 32 nursing home residents and two halls for as many as 15 hospital patients. When RMC transitioned from nursing home status to long-term care status, she was directly involved in helping make the huge regulatory process smooth.

She worked with many providers throughout the years. "Dr. Mann was an excellent teacher. I came into this job cold, off the street, but over the years, the encouragement I received always made me feel like I was making a difference," she recalled.

More recently, Schmitz faced the challenges of growing federal regulations along with the implementation of electronic health records. "The days of handwritten orders and charting are long over. Documentation requirements have quadrupled since I began this journey, but I have always enjoyed the challenges presented in healthcare," she said.

This last year she has worked as the Better Health Improvement Specialist, working through a grant that has enabled RMC to receive leadership and staff training, as well as purchase three electronic smart boards for the facility and community to use.

When she retires, her remaining duties will be absorbed by the appropriate departments.

"I will miss the everyday challenges that come with working in healthcare. RMC has always been a good place to work where the leadership is forward thinking, the staff is kind and the primary care is exceptional," she said.