#ValuesSuperStars: Bethany Jellicorse – Care Without Boundaries
The hallmarks of Carolina Care are excellence and empathy. Teammates and patients alike see these qualities demonstrated every day – sometimes in unexpected ways – when they encounter nurse manager Bethany Jellicorse.
Multiple teammates from internal medicine at Chapel Hill recognized Bethany as one of our UNC Health #ValuesSuperStars. “Bethany sees the big picture of what we are doing here. She works for the mission – to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians,” said Cathy Barnes, Bethany’s teammate and a 40-year nursing veteran.
A former ER nurse, Bethany brings her heart, her hands and a level head to the job. “If I could stress one word for Bethany, it would be empathy,” Cathy said. “She is able to put herself in others’ situations.”
“Bethany assists. She covers. She mentors. She is a teacher. She’s been involved with codes,” Cathy said. Smart, strong and fair, Bethany is also “an excellent liaison between the staff, the patients, the doctors and the families,” Cathy added.
Bethany was also recognized by another member of her team, Kristen Morrison, who became a first-time mother at the start of the pandemic. “I agonized over whether to return to work [and about] putting my little one in daycare,” Kristen said. “I was a nervous wreck when I called up. I wanted to protect my childand I loved my job and didn’t want to leave anyone any more shorthanded than they might already be. Bethany acknowledged my anxiety and worked to find a solution that worked for both of us.”
In addition, “Bethany remains flexible and understanding to this day,” Kristen said.
Bethany’s commitment to helping people and solving problems goes far beyond the job description.
Cathy shares that Bethany has not only tackled plumbing issues, but she has even taken on construction projects to assist patients. When an elderly patient was experiencing a safety issue with her deck due to construction at her home, “Bethany went to the patient’s house in wintertime, actually bought the building supplies and fixed the deck so the patient wouldn’t be slipping around on it.”
Bethany appreciates the recognition but is quick to credit her team, too. “I have a wonderful team, and we are all pulling together during COVID,” she said. “Before COVID, we pulled together with other challenges, so COVID was just one more stepping-stone [for us], and we keep stepping over it.”
But teammates Cathy Barnes and Kristen Morrison insist that Bethany is the superstar. “She deserves all the good that life passes her way… she’s made a positive impact on my life,” Kristen said.
Cathy agreed: “It’s time for Bethany to be recognized… she needs to know how valuable she is.”
Thank you, Bethany Jellicorse, for being one of our #ValuesSuperStars and part of our One Great Team.
Read other #ValuesSuperStars stories.