After 40 years of service, Holly Ullman Herlache, Nurse Practitioner at Door County Medical Center retired in summer of 2022.

Ullman Herlache's contributions to Door County Medical Center (DCMC) and the patients she served over her 40 year career can hardly be quantified. She served in every facility (with the exception of the Dental Clinic) and almost every patient care department at DCMC, working with almost all of the providers and staff and touching the lives of thousands of patients. We've had a chance to talk to Holly about her career and what she shared was impressive, to say the least.

Passion for Patient Care

Ullman Herlache grew up in Sturgeon Bay, but she didn't always know she wanted to be a nurse. In her senior year of high school she worked as a nurse's aide at the Dorchester Retirement Home, and in 1977 when she was ready to graduate, she received a scholarship from the DCMC Auxiliary, "That's what really propelled me. It gave me the confidence and the financial support I needed to pursue a career in nursing," says Ullman Herlache. "My family was large and although college was an option, paying for it was a hurdle. But that scholarship made it all possible."

It wasn't until Ullman Herlache was into her career that she realized what she did was special, "I didn't know it at the time, but nurses have something that not everyone does. It's this drive to ease people's suffering and the willingness to do whatever it takes."

For her, it was the people and their stories that kept her coming to work every day.

"When I was a Registered Nurse (RN) working in Medical/Surgical, some parents brought in a little girl that was the same age as my daughter (around 2 or 3 years old). She was clearly in pain. We started an IV right away and I had to call the physician. The girl had a life-threatening intussusception in her belly and she needed surgery right away. The paramedics wanted her in her car seat, but I told them no because she was so uncomfortable. I'm not sure if it was because she was the same age as my daughter, but I was dedicated to that case and ultimately, we were able to save her life," Ullman Herlache recalls.

She once had a cancer patient whose daughter was a classmate of hers. The daughter expressed her discomfort with the care her mom needed - the smell, the sadness, the messy parts. She couldn't understand how Ullman Herlache did the work she did. Ullman Herlache thinks back, "I knew it was because I could relieve some of her suffering and that's what moved me. People that work in healthcare don't always know how much of a difference we can make, but we do it all the time. At that moment, I knew the value of the care I provided."

Need Care? Ullman Herlache Was There

When she graduated from University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh, Ullman Herlache came back to Sturgeon Bay to help her family after her mom died, and to marry her fiancé. A close friend worked at DCMC and they were offering bonuses to employees that got other nurses to sign on. Ullman Herlache started her career at DCMC in 1982.

"It's a small rural hospital," says Ullman Herlache, "but the opportunities are all there. I worked in numerous levels of nursing, I built my credentials, I was able to move around a lot over 40 years. That's really why I stayed. I thought about leaving when I divorced, but I was dedicated to my work and learning and loved the opportunities in the organization."

Ullman Herlache started as an RN with a BSN and floated throughout a multitude of departments and roles including middle management, case management and unit coordinator roles, but she always had one foot on the clinic floor. When DCMC opened the Home Health Care Program, she was the first nurse hired. "I didn't want to lose my ability to come back to the hospital if it didn't work out. So I'd always fill in wherever they needed me."

In 2004 she completed her masters degree to become a Nurse Practitioner (NP) while she worked in the Discharge Planning Department. One of the requirements of her degree was for her to work a minimum of 650 hours in a variety of specialties at different facilities. She worked at a prison, a migrant camp, and at a Veterans clinic adding to her diverse skills and ability to connect with a wide range of patients.

When she became a Nurse Practitioner, she was needed at the Washington Island clinic, where she stayed as a primary provider for six and a half years, "It was my favorite place to work. I love the people and the community on Washington Island, but there was no relief when I needed time off. I had the sick leave, but without anyone to cover for me, it was almost impossible to take it. When my brother died I almost missed being with him."

Her memories of Washington Island are powerful ones, "One of the most memorable moments I had on Washington Island was when I attended a community event and witnessed a person collapse. I suspected immediately that he was suffering from cardiac arrest. He fully coded and so we couldn't get air travel for him to the hospital. Thankfully, we were able to revive him right there on the island. We got him in an ambulance and off to the hospital and he survived! He came back within a couple days to live out the rest of his life on the island. The experience of being able to save a life was incredible."

The Southern Door Clinic opened and they needed a provider for half the time. She took the job and used the rest of her full-time status to fill in wherever they needed her. Then, Urgent Care opened and that's where she spent the last seven years of her career.

On the Horizon

Just before Ullman Herlache retired, her fiance was diagnosed with cancer. She planned to spend his remaining time by his side, but cancer cut his life short just three months after she retired. Alas, her passion for care and drive to provide relief was needed sooner than she thought it would be and she was honored to have him as her last patient.

Ullman Herlache misses connecting with her patients and collaborating with her colleagues, as well as the constant learning. However, now that she's retired she's been able to spend her time with her children and eight grandchildren that she never thought she'd have. She loves the outdoors and taking care of her yard. She continues to give back to the DCMC Auxiliary and hopes to find a place as a volunteer where she can be outside.

Holly Ullman Herlache certainly left a mark - not only on the lives of her patients, but on the DCMC organization as a whole. She will not soon be forgotten and she looks forward to connecting with her colleagues and patients alike, in a different setting.