Rachel Bamber, LCSW, Named Day Kimball Healthcare Employee of the Month

Recognized for Providing Comfort, Guidance and Leadership, Bamber Also Continues a Family History of Caring at Day Kimball

Rachel Bamber LCSW, has been named employee of the month for November at Day Kimball Healthcare (DKH). She is a medical social worker for the HomeCare and Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Connecticut divisions of DKH.

“Rachel is an outstanding employee and has an excellent rapport with patients and families,” said Michelle Blanchette RN, BSN, clinical supervisor at Day Kimball HomeCare. “The patients themselves have recognized her as being ‘incredibly helpful’ and others have said that they were ‘not at all sure what we would have done without her’. In addition, Rachel has emerged as the informal leader of home health/MSW personnel, providing important coaching and mentoring to her peers.”

Bamber’s ties to Day Kimball stretch back a generation. Her mother was a nurse at the hospital and her father worked in the security department. Her own history of caring for patients at Day Kimball dates back to 1989 when she became a junior volunteer at the hospital, a role she maintained for four years. Since then she has gained some 18 years of work experience in the field of social work, 15 of which have been in health care at skilled nursing facilities as well as at Day Kimball HomeCare. She also worked at Day Kimball HomeMakers from 1993 to 1997.

Bamber has served in her current role of medical social worker for homecare and hospice since 2012. Her responsibilities include providing therapy, assisting patients and their families with gaining access to assistance and resources, long term planning, advocating for patients’ needs, and collaborating with the patient’s health care team which may be comprised of nursing, therapeutic, social services, and homemaker-home health aide staff. Bamber also serves as a Day Kimball Healthcare corporator.

At a gathering to celebrate her award it was apparent that Bamber’s role is one that her coworkers believe fits her to a tee.

“The health care system just keeps becoming more and more complex, but your ability to navigate it and leave no stone unturned for your patients is amazing,” said Director of Day Kimball HomeCare, HomeMakers and Hospice and Palliative Care of Northeastern Connecticut Renee Smith.

Patricia Hedenberg, events manager in the DKH Development Department, recalled knowing Bamber when she was a member of her daughter’s Girl Scouts troop. “She was a leader then, and she still is today,” Hedenberg said.

After learning she was named employee of the month, Bamber said, “I feel honored, but the best reward is knowing that I’ve made a difference to my patients and their family, especially during the end of life.”

Bamber grew up in Putnam and currently resides in Plainfield with her two children. She holds a BSW degree from Saint Joseph College (University of St. Joseph), West Hartford, Conn., and a MSW degree from Springfield College, Springfield, Mass.

 

Related Resources

Integrated Care: In-Home Care
In-Home Care: Day Kimball HomeCare
In-Home Care: Day Kimball HomeMakers
In-Home Care: Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Connecticut