WESTMINSTER, Vt. – On April 28, National Superhero Day, the Great Falls Regional Chamber of Commerce held an evening of impact, resilience, and appreciation. Among the 16 superheroes celebrated was Kurn Hattin Homes’ very own, Shannon Niemiec. Kurn Hattin Homes held its own campus celebration afterward.
Shannon Niemiec, BSN, RN is Kurn Hattin Homes’ Director of Health Services. In a typical year, she keeps us all informed about upcoming cold and flu season, and tick and sun burn prevention. Since 2020, she’s been Kurn Hattin Homes’ “Dr. Fauci” and guided both the children and the staff through the entire Covid pandemic with composure and compassion, in addition to all her other duties.
Shannon comprehended and relayed all the CDC and Vermont Department of Health regulations and updates and maintained in compliance with all the state, local, and federal documents for record keeping. She kept the children, their families, as well as the staff, calm and on track to deal with all the changes and issues that came along – protocols for distancing, masking, quarantining, testing, vaccinating, and what was mandatory and optional. Shannon was, and still is, the go-to person for everyone. This was a big expansion of the Health Services Director role. In the past, the focus was only on the children, but Covid necessitated that Shannon work with everybody, including extended family members of children and staff. The goal was to keep everyone, and the campus, safe, and she did so with aplomb. She’s gone above and beyond, and she truly is Kurn Hattin’s, and the community’s, superhero.
We also honor Keri Ticino, CMA; Jean Farrell, BSN, RN; and Kelly Maglio, BSN, RN, who joins Shannon in our Health Center, and all the nurses and health care professionals who work tirelessly every day for the well-being of others.