The COVID-19 pandemic has helped us better appreciate the nurses who work day-in and day-out to bring wonderful service to patients. Here in the Region, Teresa Tuholski is one of those selfless medical caretakers, working as a patient navigator at Northwest Health in La Porte County.
With Mill Creek, Indiana, serving as her old stomping grounds, Tuholski attended La Porte High School and then went on to study at Purdue North Central in Westville, receiving her MBA shortly thereafter.
Her time as a nurse at Northwest Health is just one of her many accomplishments, as Tuholski has been working in La Porte County for a long time. She’s witnessed quite a lot of advances in healthcare delivery over the years. For example, her current role, as an oncology nurse navigator at the Northwest Health – La Porte hospital, didn’t even exist when she entered the profession.
“I've lived in La Porte County for 60 years, and for 40 years, I've been a nurse. Most of that time I have been with La Porte hospital. I stayed through all of the changes at the hospital from when it was owned by Clarian and then IU Health. Now, we’re part of Northwest Health which is a more regional system here in Northwest Indiana,” Tuholski said.
At Northwest Health, Tuholski works with people who are facing the harsh reality of grappling with cancer. And when one is up close and personal with patients who may be at the most fearful point in their lives, empathy and expertise are called for. And those are Tuholski’s strengths.
“You're meeting patients in the most challenging time in their life. And they're just being diagnosed with cancer, so they don't yet know their specific type of diagnosis, their prognosis, or their treatment plan. I help walk them through that process and hold their hand throughout. They often feel like they've lost control of their life, of normalcy in their life, and they just don't know how it's going to emotionally and financially affect them and their family. I hope to just reassure them that they'll get through the storm and that there is a lot of hope out there with all of the cancer care that we can provide locally. I feel like my job is not really a job at all; it is a calling,” Tuholski said.
It is exactly through her taking care of patients at the hospital that inspires her to keep going. Meeting and getting to know her patients is an essential part of the job, and Tuholski cherishes every moment of it.
These moments can be humbling for the one who walks through them, and Tuholski realizes the importance of everything that encompasses her work, which turns out to be a valuable asset for someone working in oncology.
“Meeting people and knowing that I can make a difference in the most challenging time of their life means a lot to me. It puts me in the perspective of my own life and how grateful I am each day. It reminds me to tell the people around me how much I appreciate them, because you don't know when your time will be called,” Tuholski said.
Outside of her work at the hospital, Tuholski does not hesitate in the pursuit of keeping herself busy. She stays active participating in all sorts of activities and community groups around the area.
“I'm a volunteer for the NewDay Foundation, and I work at Coulter’s Produce with the pumpkin patch to help fundraise for that,” Tuholski said. “I'm also heavily involved with Holy Family Parish Church, where I’m a member.”
And even after work and all other volunteering efforts, Tuholski still finds the time to indulge in her hobbies. Sometimes that leisure time includes spending time with family; family life is a necessity to her.
“I like to spend time with my family and my grandkids; I like to hike, read, garden, bike and jog – those jogs sometimes turning into eight-hour endurance runs,” Tuholski said. “And I think that I've worked so long at Northwest Health that I've been fortunate enough to have a healthy work-life balance. As you age, you start to value people and to value your time differently.”
Through it all, Tuholski’s gratitude and motivation extends toward a few people who she has come across through working with many different organizations. But her biggest thanks seems to go to one compelling force.
“My relationship with God probably is one of the biggest motivators in my life. Through that and work, I feel especially grateful for each day and feel really blessed for working in a community hospital and working in a community that is so giving. I think we have a unique community that is so generous. Like those organizations that I mentioned before, I couldn't do my job without them being so supportive,” Tuholski said.
