Article originally published Winter 2017 The Monitor magazine.
After working more than 30 years in emergency departments across the country, Colleen Justus has developed a “servant’s heart” when it comes to her patients, co-workers and community.
“When you feel blessed to have an abundance, you have a responsibility to do something with it,” said Colleen, a Team Leader in Fairfield Medical Center’s Emergency Department and a member of TWIG 7. “I love how, as an E.D. nurse, I can touch lives every day and, in a brief moment, make a difference.”
For Colleen, giving back to the Fairfield Medical Center Foundation is one of the best ways that she can positively impact the lives of others. The FMC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports healthcare programs, projects and services of FMC, including patient care and comfort.
“It’s private, it’s specific, and you can give a little or a lot,” said Colleen, who has supported the hospital through the FMC Foundation for more than a decade.
Donated funds are used for everything from advanced technology and facilities to medical innovations. Donors at any level can choose a specific fund to support that best matches their area of interest, or they can give to the area of greatest need.
“The Foundation knows so many more needs than I know,” Colleen said. “I don’t think some people are even aware of all the different ways that you can help others through the Foundation.”
Colleen said she’s always been passionate about volunteering and encouraging her three children to do the same. She credits Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University with helping her and husband, Karl Justus, get to a place where they can give back to others.
“I’ve learned that you can’t fulfill the needs of others if you yourself are struggling,” she said.
Amanda Strigle, Team Leader for the FMC Foundation, said Colleen is a great example of how one person can impact the lives of others in many ways.
“She gives of herself not only through her job and her TWIG, but she goes beyond that, investing in her FMC Foundation,” Strigle said. “Colleen’s investment ensures she and her co-workers have the best tools to heal others, and that their patients, family and friends continue to have excellent care. As a nurse, she’s seen the FMC Foundation at work throughout the hospital and continues to make the investment because she knows it makes a direct impact on the lives of people in her community.”
To learn more about how you can make a difference through the FMC Foundation, call 740-687-8107.