Kimball Health Services announces Social Services Director as Employee of the Year

Social Services Director Charlene Amen received the Employee of the Year award. Photo courtesy of Kimball Health Services.

KIMBALL -- Kimball Health Services Employee of the Year is Social Services Director Charlene Amen. 

Her colleagues chose her for the award among last year’s employee of the month award winners. 

“[Charlene] goes above and beyond to help our patients and recently started collecting food for a small KHS Food Pantry for those in need,” her nomination read. “We appreciate you! Thank you!”  

Amen, RN, said as a former clinic nurse, she was able to establish rapport with community members that translates into her current role. She helps patients navigate local, state and federal resources, guides them through options for Medicare, Part D drug plans or government assistance programs. 

“When things are about financials nobody is comfortable talking about that. So, a lot of the people I have known for many years in the community even though I don’t live here, and I think that helps people feel more comfortable,” Amen said. 

Amen’s nomination stood out because of her idea to start the KHS Food Pantry. 

“The KHS food pantry was born out of the need to support patients who were experiencing short-term food insecurity, whether due to delays in receiving SNAP benefits or the gap between distribution days by the larger Kimball Community Food Pantry,” Amen said. 

The hospital pantry offers food and hygiene products, operating with donations from staff. 

She adds that while the community food pantry is a valuable resource, the KHS pantry offers immediate needs that arise among the community between the regular pantry distributions, which are on the first Tuesday and the second, third and fourth Thursdays. 

Along with her duties as social services director, Amen is a volunteer SHIP counselor at the hospital. 

The Nebraska State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides education, counseling and support to Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers. It helps participants understand Medicare options, compare plans, and make informed decisions about coverage and benefits without selling or endorsing any insurance products. SHIP counselors are certified, unbiased, and available for one-on-one consultations. 

She has held several roles in her 17 years at KHS, including both a floor and clinic nurse and chart auditing before entering her current position. 

Amen said what she loves most about her job is the patients. 

“It might not be for a very long period of times, but its face to face; we get to talk one-on-one and take care of what they need, so it’s more personal than a lot of times you have patients on the floor and you're taking care of them and you want to do that, but you’re really busy,” Amen said. "So, this is just me working directly with them.”