TENNESSEE HEALTH CARE HALL OF FAME NOMINEE NANCY KERR

NOMINEE INFORMATION (2016)

NAME: Nancy Kerr, RN (Posthumously)

COMPANY: N/A

IS THE NOMINEE LIVING OR DECEASED: Deceased

EMAIL ADDRESS: N/A

PHONE NUMBER: N/A

MAILING ADDRESS: N/A

EDUCATION:

• Tennessee State Boards – Independent, 1967

• State Registered Nurse (Great Britian), Four-year program

• Royal South Hants and Southampton Hospital, Southampton, England

PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS HELD:

• 1942-1946, Royal South Hants and Southampton Hospital

• 1967-1970, Charge Nurse – Medical Surgical Floor - Night Duty

• 1970-1971, Staff Nurse Medical Floor FSRMC - Day Duty

• 1972-1974, Part time Staff Nurse Orthopedic/Neuro Floor FSRMC

• 1978-1987, Hospice Nurse – Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center

• 1987-1988, Respite Care Coordinator / Bereavement Counselor

• 1978-1988, Recurrent training of Hospice Volunteers

• 1991-2006, One of InterFaith HEALTHCLINIC’s first RN Nurse volunteers when clinic opened its doors in 1991 (PRN Nurse to “the” many until age 80)

• Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Springs, MD (traveled with their staff)

• Church Home and HOSPICE, Baltimore, MD (worked with their Home Care Nursing staff)

• Attended “First Thursday” Hospice Presentation, New Haven, CT

• Assisted with and attended workshops on “LIFE TRANSITIONS” by Elizabeth Kubler – Ross, July 1978

• Instituted First HOSPICE in Knoxville and Tennessee

APPOINTMENTS/HONORS:

• George Washinton Honor Medal for Freedom Foundation Valley Forge for public address to newly naturalized citizens, 1965

• DAR Citizenship award, given to naturalized citizens

• Woodmen of the World for Outstanding Service, 1979

• Tennessee Medical Association Community Service Award, 1982

Nominator Information

NAME: Tom Kim, MD

EMAIL ADDRESS: freemedicalclini@bellsouth.net

COMPANY: The Free Medical Clinic

PHONE NUMBER: (865) 577-3733

MAILING ADDRESS: 6209 Chapman Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920

RELATIONSHIP TO NOMINEE: Longtime friend and professional colleague. I first met Nancy Kerr, RN, in 1979 while doing a Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Training Program.

Eligibility Questions

NOMINEE WAS BORN, LIVED OR WORKED IN TENNESSEE? Nancy Wilkie (Kerr) was born in Ipoh, Malaysia to British parents. As a nurse in England during WWII, Nancy met her future husband, Jim Kerr, of Knoxville, Tennessee. Nancy lived and worked in Tennessee for 60 of her 80 years.

NOMINEE WILLINGLY SERVED AS A ROLE MODEL/MENTOR WITHIN HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY? Nancy Kerr was unanimously voted by the Board of Trustees of the Tennessee Medical Association to be awarded the Community Service Award in 1982. Each member of the board was most impressed with her achievements as a registered nurse chosen to head the Fort Sanders Hospice Program in 1978.

NOMINEE DEMONSTRATED UTMOST PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL CONDUCT? The conduct of Nancy Kerr was stellar during her nursing career. Nancy Kerr became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1956. The organization, Freedom Foundation Valley Forge, awarded Nancy the George Washington Honor Medal. This honor was for the public address to newly naturalized citizens.

NOMINEE MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT/LASTING CONTRIBUTION TO HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY? Nancy Kerr was the first Hospice nurse in Tennessee history. Nancy traveled across the country to learn from current experts. She worked tirelessly to pioneer the “Hospice Movement” in Tennessee and surrounding states. Knoxville’s ABC-TV Anchor Sam Brown said Nancy’s innovative work “changed the culture of health care in Tennessee.”

IMPACT/CONTRIBUTION ON THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY: See attached.

ANY ITEMS OF SIGNIFICANCE TO BE MENTIONED: Here are some excerpts from other letters of support received:

“Although Mrs. Kerr passed away in 2006, her example of compassion and servant-hood through the medical field stands as a lasting legacy to her life and a shining example to future generations.” Sherry Witt – Knox County Register of Deeds

“Mrs. Nancy Kerr, RN, was one of the finest of many professional nurses I was fortunate to work with during a forty year career in health care administration in East Tennessee. Nancy Kerr was truly a pioneer in this most compassionate work. She is missed.” Jerry Rysticken, Past President of Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center

(David’s Grandfather Keith)

“Then an amazing hospice nurse came to the house to take care of him for the last two weeks of his life. Her name was Nancy Kerr. It was mid-February and we had had a big snowstorm. Nancy couldn’t get up the hill to the our home so she parked her car as close as she could get and walked through the snow and ice every day to take care of my Pappaw and see him through to the other side. Most people would say that Nancy Kerr was a flesh and blood woman, but I think she was a guardian angel sent by God to take my Pappaw home.”

Curriculum Vitae: Nancy Kerr, R.N. Hospice Nurse

Nancy Kerr with Patricia Neal

EDUCATION: Tennessee State Boards – Independent 1967 State Registered Nurse (Great Britian) Four year program Royal South Hants and Southampton Hospital, Southampton, England

PREPARATION FOR Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Springs, MD (traveled with their staff) Church Home and HOSPICE, Baltimore, MD (worked with their Home Care Nursing staff)

Attended “First Thursday” Hospice Presentation, New Haven, CT. Assisted with and attended workshops on “LIFE TRANSITIONS” by Elizabeth Kubler – Ross. July 1978

Instituted First HOSPICE in Knoxville and Tennessee

EXPERIENCE:

1942 1946 Royal South Hants and Southampton Hospital

1967 1970 Charge Nurse – Medical Surgical Floor Night Duty

1970 1971 Staff Nurse Medical Floor FSRMC Day Duty

1972 1974 Part time Staff Nurse Orthopedic/Neuro Floor FSRMC

1978 1987 Hospice Nurse – Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center

1987 1988 Respite Care Coordinator / Bereavement Counselor

1978 1988 Recurrent training of Hospice Volunteers

1991 2006 One of InterFaith HEALTHCLINIC’s first RN Nurse volunteers when clinic opened it’s doors in 1991 (PRN Nurse to “the” many until age 80)

AWARDS:

George Washinton Honor Medal for Freedom Foundation Valley Forge for public address to newly naturalized citizens 1965

DAR Citizenship award – given to naturalized citizens

Woodmen of the World for outstanding service 1979

Tennessee Medical Association Community Service Award 1982

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Birthdate: September 24, 1925

Birthplace: Batu Gajah Hospital ~ Ipoh Perak Malaysia of British parents

Naturalized American Citizen 1956

Married to James D. Kerr of Knoxville, TN (for 59 incredible years)

Four Sons: Terrell & Rosemary “Pete”, David, Chris & Karen, and John & Dianne

Seven Grandchildren: Jamie, David Jr., Jonathan, Robby, Logan, Jennifer & Victoria

Three Great grandchildren: Elizabeth Belle, June Marie & Justus Kerr

Died: Nancy was freed “from her cocoon” on May 1, 2006

FAMILY CONTACT: John Kerr (#4 son)

2204 Woodson Drive

Knoxville, TN 37920 865 567 1046 mobile jk@insurancehouseknox.com

YouTube.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d iAMGXZMjg or search (Nancy Kerr, RN) 1979 TV Interview with Nancy Kerr, RN about the Hospice Movement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kCka 3N018

1982 Speech for Hospice of North Carolina by Nancy Kerr, RN in Burlington, NC – (Starts at minute 18:42) Excerts from Speech below:

“What do you look for in hospice volunteers?

I think the one real important thing to have is a sense of humor!

But we tend to get in there and we’re (Death and Dying Experts) Big D & D !!

This kinda turns me off”

“I’m in the business of living. I’m in the business of helping that patient and that family to live as fully as they possibly can until they die!”

“I’m probably terrible because I tease them and I kid with them and we do try have a lot of laughter going on! Because, I think laughter is good for everybody!” Nancy Kerr, RN