Crimmins, Rebecca

Nurse practitioner Lana Evans has wanted to be a nurse since she was a little girl. With more than 19 years of experience, she achieved that goal. Lana earned her master’s degree in nursing from Goshen College and is an advanced practice nurse. In her role, she collaborates with physicians to improve the quality of patient care. “I treat the person, not the disease,” she explains. “I try to be real and relate to people at their level.” This practice helps Lana understand her patients, which leads to better health. “There are many levels to patients, and sometimes, we have to peel back those layers to figure out why patients are or are not doing things we ask.” Her practice philosophy is simple. “Work hard, put your patients first and do what is best for them,” she says. “I really do care. Their health and well-being are what is important to me.” In Her Own Words If you could sit down to dinner with anyone (alive or deceased), who would it be and why? Florence Nightingale – to discuss how nursing was way back then. In addition to medicine, what are you passionate about? Horses! They are great therapy. I love to watch my kids ride and show. I like to ride myself even though I’m not very good at it. What was your first job growing up? What do you remember about it? I delivered newspapers. You had to do it no matter the weather. I got to meet and talk to people all the time. Who was or is the most influential person/role model in your life? My mom and dad. They are good role models, have good work ethics, care for others and love God. What is something most people don’t know about you? I like car racing, shooting sports and don’t mind getting dirty.

About Rachel Pippenger After many years of working in the area of gastrointestinal (GI) medicine, Rachel Pippenger, NP, transitioned to family practice for the opportunity to do help people in a variety of ways. I love family practice, because you are able to form relationships with people,” she says. Her philosophy as a provider is “safety first.” This has always held true for her whether she was working at Goshen Hospital as a medical surgery nurse, or at the Elkhart Clinic working in GI, where she did office nursing, provided conscious sedation during procedures, or assisted in pre- and post-operative work, or endoscopy procedures. Rachel earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from IU South Bend and her Master of Science in Nursing from Goshen College. An important lesson she learned in her studies was to recognize when you don’t have the answer. Collaboration is important, she says, adding, “I’m not afraid to tell people if I don’t know something, but I assure them I will always find answers.” Since 2015, she has worked in Bremen, managing her own panel of patients with chronic conditions including; diabetes, COPD/asthma, hypertension, women’s health, children’s health, and psychiatric care. Rachel was excited for the opportunity to work in her own community. No matter where she is or what she is doing, Rachel says she continues to learn empathy and patience from her patients. Her approach to practicing medicine is to make decisions based on evidence and she wants her patients to know that she will always be their advocate. In her own words… Who is or was the most influential people/role models in your life? My parents. What was your first job growing up? What do you remember about it? Working at GL Perry Variety Store. It was boring and retail was not for me. What is your favorite food? Movie? Anything Thai. My favorite movie is Simon Birch. What was your best/worst subjects in school growing up? Best - English; Worst – Math If you could sit down to dinner with anyone (alive or deceased) who would it be and why? Ghandi -- his passivist-approach for conflict resolution.

About Rebecca Crimmins Describing herself as a born caretaker, Rebecca Crimmins, NP, said she had the goal of a career in medicine since she was a young girl. She added that her mother, a Qualified Medication Aide (QMA), always cared for sick family members, and Rebecca was part of providing that care, too. She graduated from Ball State University, Muncie, IN, with both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and her Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner. Rebecca then worked in post- and pre-operative care as a perioperative RN and a post-anesthesia care unit RN. As a Nurse Practitioner, she helps patients improve their quality of life and their overall health status. “I love seeing a person grow and better themselves over time,” she says. “In family medicine, you get to build a relationship and help people meet their health goals.” Rebecca has learned from the people she cares for to be kind and patient, since the world of medicine is foreign to most. She hopes they see her as a warm and caring provider. In her own words… Who is or was the most influential people/role models in your life? My best friend, Emily. She always has the right answers with actions to prove it! What was your first job growing up? What do you remember about it? I babysat all through high school. [It was the] best job, because I have always loved caring for kids. What is your favorite food? Favorite foods: chips and salsa What was your best/worst subjects in school growing up? Best – math; worst - English If you could sit down to dinner with anyone (alive or deceased) who would it be and why? My grandmother… who I was named after. I have been told I am a lot like her and she has been through many hard seasons in life. In addition to medicine, what are you passionate about? Spending time and making memories with loved ones. Do you have pets? Yes, one dog named Gus-Gus. He is a crazy 7-motnh-old puppy. What is something most people don’t know about you? I am way more type A and task-oriented than I lead on. People perceive me as a very laid back.