Hollie Thacker, CRNA // Anesthesia's Perspective
Hollie Thacker, CRNA // Surgical Experience from Anesthesia's Perspective
Rod Stewart sang, “some guys have all the luck.”
In the world of healthcare, it sometimes seems like doctors get all the fame.
But like many things in life, a surgery requires excellence from an entire team.
That’s exactly what you get when you step foot inside of Surgical Services at Scheurer Health: top-notch surgeons, unbelievable care from the nurses, peace of mind from the staff and an extraordinary level of detail from one of the few good, four-lettered words out there: CRNA.
A certified registered nurse anesthetist, more easily said and spelled out as just CRNA is a position that makes the whole world of surgery go round. Having a procedure done can be a scary time in your life. “Going under” is typically associated with peril, unknowns and prayer. Yet, as movies like to portray you counting backwards from 100, it’s the CRNA that is your biggest ally and partner in your health.
A certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) is the highly-trained and skilled individual that is responsible for administrating anesthesia to patients during surgeries and procedures. They make sure the patient is comfortable and safe, while managing any pain, nausea and anything else, so that the surgeon is able to successfully complete your procedure without worry. At Scheurer Health, Hollie Thacker, CRNA leads Anesthesia for us, who joined our ranks just as the world began to shut down in March of 2020.
Born and raised in “south Detroit” or better known as “down river,” Hollie Thacker, CRNA graduated from Wayne State University with a Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia. She was first introduced to Scheurer Health through her school clinical rotations and had the immediate desire to never leave.
“Scheurer was one of our rural sites and I just really fell in love with the area, the organization and the culture here, which is amazing. At big hospitals, providers and patients can get lost in the shuffle and I really get to just hone-in on one patient at a time. Here, I have the chance to take that extra time with them and it's a little bit more of an intimate experience. There is no way I could go back to a big facility. So, when a job opening was available, I nabbed it up right away.”
As a CRNA, Hollie works with the entire surgical team to ensure that every procedure goes to plan and has the best outcome possible. “My main goal as a CRNA is to make the patient feel comfortable and feel safe,” noted Hollie. “Safety is our top priority for every surgery. We want you to come through it okay, that the goals of surgery are met and overall, just have a really good experience. We want everyone to come back for any other healthcare that they might need.”
None of that would be possible without the lively and caring team that we are so lucky to have at Scheurer. “It's an amazing team,” notes Hollie. “Everyone is very tight knit. You're working with the same group of people day-in and day-out. So, you get a really nice groove going and I really wouldn’t be able to do as good of a job that I do without my team and the support from them. It's amazing having the group that I do.”
Delivering outstanding outcomes on a consistent basis is not easy to do. As with any job or role, it doesn’t come without moments of stress or intensity. “The most difficult part of my job goes hand in hand with what’s most rewarding. I'm responsible for doing a chart review, being familiar with the patients before they come in. I need to make sure the room is set up with all of the right equipment, medications, everything that I might need. I’m in the room to take care of the patient. So, it can be a little daunting early in your career, but you get into a good flow. Plus, with the team that I have, it is more than doable.”
Hollie’s role as a CRNA begins with the rest of the staff in the pre-dawn hours of the morning. “We get surgeries going anywhere from seven in the morning to about 8:30. We go until the afternoon when we're able to do add-ons for any patients that come through the emergency room that need something; we fit them into the schedule as quickly as we can.”
With more surgeons joining Scheurer Health, our surgical team has never been busier. We are now proud to offer three General Surgeons with Amanda McSweeney, MD, Sujal Patel, MD, as well as David Hobbs, MD, who joined Scheurer in late 2023. Edward Blanzy, DO is our new Urologist and Mina Salib, MD handles
Pain Management procedures. This is all on top of our existing procedures and doctors, such as Gynecology with Christina Andreozzi, MD and Veronika Kinaschuk, MD, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic procedures, Otolaryngology with Brian Perry, MD and Podiatry with Natalya Salowich, DPM.
From Hollie’s perspective, more doctors and procedures adds to the skillset and abilities of a local healthcare organization. “It's really nice adding to the team and having new personalities. They bring new patients and procedures that we get to do. So, it really adds a nice mix. “Every day is a little bit different and it keeps things exciting. The future is bright. We've got so many surgeons and it's really exciting to be
able to add to the Scheurer family and have more patients come through and as a result, add more staff.”
As we continue to grow as an organization with more service lines, locations and staff, we are also continuing our effort of carrying the torch forward for the next generation of healthcare professionals. Scheurer Health remains an education preceptor location for medical students, advanced practitioners, nurses, as well as future CRNA’s, which is a point of pride for Hollie and the entire team.
“I really enjoy being a preceptor and having students come up to Scheurer. It's such an interesting situation where I was once the student and now, I'm on the flip side of it where I get to mentor and teach. It's really amazing, especially now that I've had students come through and they have since graduated and now they're picking up shifts when possible. Just a few years ago, I was the one teaching them and now they're full-fledged. It's just really amazing seeing the growth, knowing I was a part of that. It makes me really proud.”
We might be a bit biased when we say it's all part of what makes Scheurer Health so unique and a key part to our success. Attracting the necessary talent to maintain being the first choice in healthcare is not easy, but we are up for that challenge.
Hollie adds, “Scheurer really puts the patient's needs, satisfaction, safety and comfort first. Everyone takes so much pride in their job and is happy to help. You really don't experience that at bigger hospitals. It's been an amazing experience and it’s why I stay here.”
