EMPLOYEE STORY WE’RE SO GOOD AT MAKING IT WORK! Karla Arnold is investing in Regional One Health’s future in her roles as nurse, mentor, and leader. Karla Arnold was expecting her first baby when she started as a nurse at Regional One Health. Today, she is mom (and coach, chauffer, etc.) to a 13-year-old, 11-year-old, and 9-year-old. A lot has changed for Karla, but one thing never will: her dedication to her patients and Regional One Health’s mission of providing exceptional care for everyone. “Our patients are so diverse, and we take care of you no matter what,” she said. “We don’t treat one patient different from the next. That’s a beautiful thing for an organization to be able to say.” To donate scan the QR Code Karla grew up wanting a career in medicine. “I’m the oldest of five, and my mom was a very traditional mama – she just embodied caretaking,” she said. “When you take caretaking and add needles and blood and medicine – for me, health care is such a cool field.” She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and started working as a bedside nurse. When she started at Regional One Health, she was blessed with a manager who became a trusted mentor. “She was one of my biggest supporters as a young nurse and mom,” Karla said. “She encouraged me through pregnancy and 10 breastfeeding and having two more babies. She made Regional One Health such as good place for me.” After several years at our Firefighters Burn Center, Karla joined the nursing float pool, where nurses work a variety of units based on staffing needs. During COVID-19, the needs were often on the Intensive Care Unit, and that is where Karla found her calling. “We see everything – trauma and burn patients, patients with pneumonia, someone who skipped dialysis for two weeks, heart attacks,” she said. “I enjoy being with the sickest patients. You’re with them at life-or-death moments every day, and to be that person for someone is rewarding.” Karla approaches each patient and family with a desire to offer what they need in the moment. “Sometimes working a shift is like being in a play. You have to assess what they need to get their care accomplished, and adjust your personality accordingly,” she said. “Some people need you to hold their hand and be their friend. Others need you to lay down the law. Others need you to be an encyclopedia of information. You need to recognize that and adjust quickly.” 2025 GRATITUDE REPORT
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