By Taylor Knauss, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator
Every office has that one individual who can do it all without breaking a sweat. At Home Health and Hospice of Dickinson County (HH&H), it is no different. Our office staff stays incredibly busy with referrals, prior authorizations for insurance, answering phones, addressing staff questions, and keeping projects running smoothly.
The Jill of all trades at HH&H is Kesa Riffel, Quality Improvement Coordinator. Kesa works hard to keep not only the Abilene office up and going, but she handles the referrals for the Herington office as well. Joking, Kesa says, “Keeping Shannon, (Clinical Manager in the Herington office) in line is part of my job responsibilities.” No matter the task, Kesa tackles it with a smile or a well-timed joke to lift everyone’s spirits. She wears many hats around the office, one being the head of our department’s celebration committee! Birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, education milestones, appreciation days, no matter the occasion, Kesa does a fantastic job making sure that everyone feels appreciated.
Our staff appreciates Kesa just as much as she makes them feel appreciated. Without the hard work of all of our front office staff, our clinical staff could not provide care for the community. When asked why Kesa got into the medical field, she states, “I’ve always had a passion for helping people.” Even though Kesa may not serve patients directly in their homes, she still does all that she can so they receive quality care, “I think overall it’s more rewarding knowing our staff has provided the best care possible for not just our patients, but their families as well.”
Kesa was previously a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA), so she is not a stranger to the world of Home Health and Hospice. Prior to onboarding with Memorial Health System, she worked at Solomon Corporation for 16.5 years in various positions ranging from clerical work to lab testing oil.
All jobs, no matter the title, come with hardship. Kesa says one of the hardest parts of her job is “seeing such young adults on services with us, especially when they are on hospice.” On the hard days, Kesa will pop her headphones in and lose herself in an audiobook for a while. One of the most rewarding parts of her job is something we can all relate to, “The friendships I’ve gained by working here.” Back in October of 2023, Kesa’s stepdad was placed on hospice services through HH&H, “It was a blessing for my family and me to have top-notch care from my co-workers. To have people you see every day at work, knowing how much they care for their patients, taking care of your family, would give anyone ease of mind. Having friends take care of your family, that’s a whole other level of comfort.”
Kesa is a mother of two, who stays busy with her son’s sports schedule, football, basketball and track, and keeping up with her oldest daughter who is in college. Raising Zoe, her oldest child, to be a successful adult is Kesa’s biggest accomplishment in her life so far. “Zoe graduated from high school last year and moved to Manhattan. She currently lives on her own. Instead of feeling all the emotions of my first baby moving out, I took a step back to be thankful I had taught her the skills in life to be successful. I love to see her flourish!” You can feel the love Kesa has for her children in the way she talks about them.
On top of everything, Kesa has going for her, she is tossing the idea around to get her certification in medical coding. Kesa, from all the staff at Home Health and Hospice of Dickinson County, Abilene, and Herington offices, thank you for all you do on a daily basis to keep us running.
Have questions regarding the services we provide through home Health or hospice? Perhaps you would like to work in our office? Please reach out, we would love to talk to you! 785-263-6630. You can also learn about our agency on our MHS website page: https://mhsks.org/home_health_hospice/