Right Time, Right Place<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhen the opportunity arose, she grabbed onto it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three years ago, Kayla saw a gap in home health services<\/a>. She felt patients needed a palliative clinician to serve as a bridge between medical-surgical (med-surg) care and hospice care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cWe didn\u2019t have one,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cI said, \u2018I want to be your palliative nurse.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kayla started with Concordia as a med-surg nurse in 2016. Previously, she worked for a different nursing home, then briefly as a nurse in a jail. Some of her family members worked for Concordia and gave her a good impression of the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After five years of med-surg nursing, Kayla earned clinical certification for both palliative and hospice care. Kayla now follows patients across the treatment spectrum, from med-surg to palliative to hospice care. While she sees patients of the first two types through CVN<\/a>, she sees hospice patients through Good Samaritan Hospice<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cHome health is where I\u2019m at. This is the role for me,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cIn their homes, I get to witness my patients showing their raw true selves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/concordialm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/10\/CVN-Kayla-Miller-2-1.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPatient Advocate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nKayla dedicates a great deal of time to her patients, including preparation. She analyzes files and calls her patients the night before visiting. She notes their conditions, medications and other factors of their care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor example, if they have chronic kidney disease, I want to check their last hemoglobin result,\u201d she said. \u201cIf it\u2019s low, I know they\u2019re going to be pale and tired. I\u2019m looking for anything I can educate myself on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kayla considers herself a patient advocate and specializes in symptom management. She said some of her patients have felt unheard during their medical journey, and she makes sure to get them answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia myself. They\u2019re silent diseases,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cI know exactly how they feel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Distinguished Care<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBy now, others have seen Kayla\u2019s passion and commended her for it. Kayla was a 2024 Stephen W. Johnson Distinguished Finalist<\/a>, Concordia\u2019s highest employee honor. Also in 2024, the Butler County Healthcare Consortium honored Kayla as one of 29 recipients of its Healthcare Hero Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cShe deserves it,\u201d said Charlotte Kaltenbaugh, palliative care manager for CVN<\/a>. \u201cShe worked very hard to get certified in hospice and palliative care, and she brings comfort to our sickest home health patients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nCharlotte said Kayla frequently tackles difficult issues with grace, and she doesn\u2019t mind going the extra mile \u2014 literally. She said Kayla travels to the furthest reaches of CVN<\/a>\u2019s coverage area in Indiana County without complaint, even sometimes on weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cKayla is one of a kind,\u201d Charlotte said. \u201cShe never shrinks from a challenge; she always rises to meet it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/concordialm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/10\/CVN-Kayla-Miller-3-1.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHolding a Dream<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nKayla gives credit to her team for a portion of her success, and she credits the other portion to her hard work and training. She continues to pursue new ways to evolve within her role, but she\u2019s thankful to Concordia for allowing her to use her expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cConcordia uses 100% of an LPN\u2019s skill set. We use every skill we learned in nursing school,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cI have complete confidence in myself and my team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kayla often thinks back to nursing school, where she specialized in hospice care. Even early on, she felt drawn to palliative care. At times, that vision faded through the more direct care required in med-surg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a complete change of mindset. You\u2019re moving from curative to comfort,\u201d she said. \u201cOnce you can find that fine line, you\u2019ll blow it out of the water with palliative.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But now, with her dream opportunity in hand \u2014 she\u2019s not letting go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI absolutely love my job,\u201d Kayla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
View all open careers at ConcordiaCareers.org and connect with us on social to learn more about our employee culture! And, to learn more about Kayla\u2019s perspective on her Concordia career, check out the September issue of Concordia\u2019s Faith in Caring magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t have one,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cI said, \u2018I want to be your palliative nurse.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kayla started with Concordia as a med-surg nurse in 2016. Previously, she worked for a different nursing home, then briefly as a nurse in a jail. Some of her family members worked for Concordia and gave her a good impression of the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After five years of med-surg nursing, Kayla earned clinical certification for both palliative and hospice care. Kayla now follows patients across the treatment spectrum, from med-surg to palliative to hospice care. While she sees patients of the first two types through CVN<\/a>, she sees hospice patients through Good Samaritan Hospice<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHome health is where I\u2019m at. This is the role for me,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cIn their homes, I get to witness my patients showing their raw true selves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patient Advocate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Kayla dedicates a great deal of time to her patients, including preparation. She analyzes files and calls her patients the night before visiting. She notes their conditions, medications and other factors of their care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor example, if they have chronic kidney disease, I want to check their last hemoglobin result,\u201d she said. \u201cIf it\u2019s low, I know they\u2019re going to be pale and tired. I\u2019m looking for anything I can educate myself on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kayla considers herself a patient advocate and specializes in symptom management. She said some of her patients have felt unheard during their medical journey, and she makes sure to get them answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia myself. They\u2019re silent diseases,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cI know exactly how they feel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n By now, others have seen Kayla\u2019s passion and commended her for it. Kayla was a 2024 Stephen W. Johnson Distinguished Finalist<\/a>, Concordia\u2019s highest employee honor. Also in 2024, the Butler County Healthcare Consortium honored Kayla as one of 29 recipients of its Healthcare Hero Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe deserves it,\u201d said Charlotte Kaltenbaugh, palliative care manager for CVN<\/a>. \u201cShe worked very hard to get certified in hospice and palliative care, and she brings comfort to our sickest home health patients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Charlotte said Kayla frequently tackles difficult issues with grace, and she doesn\u2019t mind going the extra mile \u2014 literally. She said Kayla travels to the furthest reaches of CVN<\/a>\u2019s coverage area in Indiana County without complaint, even sometimes on weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKayla is one of a kind,\u201d Charlotte said. \u201cShe never shrinks from a challenge; she always rises to meet it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kayla gives credit to her team for a portion of her success, and she credits the other portion to her hard work and training. She continues to pursue new ways to evolve within her role, but she\u2019s thankful to Concordia for allowing her to use her expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cConcordia uses 100% of an LPN\u2019s skill set. We use every skill we learned in nursing school,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cI have complete confidence in myself and my team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kayla often thinks back to nursing school, where she specialized in hospice care. Even early on, she felt drawn to palliative care. At times, that vision faded through the more direct care required in med-surg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a complete change of mindset. You\u2019re moving from curative to comfort,\u201d she said. \u201cOnce you can find that fine line, you\u2019ll blow it out of the water with palliative.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But now, with her dream opportunity in hand \u2014 she\u2019s not letting go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI absolutely love my job,\u201d Kayla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n View all open careers at ConcordiaCareers.org and connect with us on social to learn more about our employee culture! And, to learn more about Kayla\u2019s perspective on her Concordia career, check out the September issue of Concordia\u2019s Faith in Caring magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDistinguished Care<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHolding a Dream<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n