Joy Miller is a registered nurse for clinical services at the Southern Ute Health Center.
“I’ve been a nurse for 13 years, at the Tribe for seven years,” Miller said. “I went to nursing school at Regis University in Denver. I’m originally from this area; I went to school in Ignacio and Durango growing up.”
The nurses at the clinic answer patient phone calls including questions regarding their care. They also triage patients based on their symptoms. Nurses administer medications, room patients, and perform some procedures.
“Working at the Clinic has been a good job because we have patients of all ages with various health needs,” Miller said. “I’ve learned a lot in my time here.”
“Our nurses hold additional skills here at the Southern Ute Health Center,” said Tribal Health Director, Lizette Langefels. “We are fortunate to have the opportunity for them to be educated in X-ray. This allows our patients to receive care faster and inside of their home clinic. It cuts down on travel and provides faster results.”
Last summer Miller went to Albuquerque, N.M. to obtain her certification to take X-ray films, also known as radiographic or radiology films. “I and another nurse, Julie Olexa RN, now take the clinic’s X-ray films,” Miller said.
“X-ray is vital part of making good medical and treatment decisions,” Langefels said. “Many outpatient clinics do not have X-ray onsite. This adds to care time and time to diagnose as well as an additional trip to the patient’s schedule. X-ray is a non-invasive way for our medical provider to diagnosis and follow a variety of medical conditions. These conditions include fractures, infections, bone abnormalities, and foreign objects. X-ray is also useful to assist in the treatment of injuries and respiratory issues such as pneumonia. X-ray is a tool that allows people to be treated faster.”
“It is an honor to have such an experienced nurse on our team,” Langefels said. “Joy has provided seven years of great service to those seen at the clinic. Joy always has a smile and a great attitude. She provides stability to a long-standing team.”
“I really appreciate and enjoy my job,” Miller said. “I’m proud to be a part of a team that helps the sick, injured and disabled. I’m proud that my life’s work is helping my community.”