Lauri Conley

REHABILITATION — 30 YEARS AT IVINSON

Lauri is an Office Coordinator for the Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic here at Ivinson Hospital where she manages the front, more or less everybody in the clinic.

Lauri has a busy job, but that does not keep her from greeting her patients with a smile on her face. A typical day for her is answering the phone, completing all the insurance, the scheduling, the authorizations, and so forth. This doesn’t hold her back as the one thing she cherishes most from this role is the patients. 

“I’m glad that I can impact people in a happy environment, that I’m special because I always interact with people by being nice and friendly,” Lauri said.

Around that time, in 1993, Lauri eventually made her way to Ivinson working for Environmental Services. Where she served as a Room Service Assistant where she did a little bit of cleaning and food services for the hospital. Eventually, she started a new role in extended care. Lauri worked in extended care for eight and a half years. Eventually Lauri moved into the Rehabilitation Clinic, after a year coming upon her current position, which she holds today.

While Lauri continued her journey at Ivinson, she also worked for the Search & Rescue here in Albany County where she found over four lost people while riding by herself. Additionally, she was on the board who started the Mounted Rescue program. The Mounted Rescue program uses trained horses as a search partner, even being useful in transportation for finding people in the mountains. Lauri worked for the Search & Rescue for five years before moving on.

Lauri has a passion for her horses, being able to take them to the mountains with her dogs is her favorite pastime, as it is also her decompression. As she says, ​“If I’m not working, I’m in the mountains.” 

Lauri’s favorite part of working at Ivinson in the Rehabilitation Clinic is the people, how much she adores each and every person. Especially being in the front, where she gets to speak with people, meet new people, getting to know them while they get a chance to know her. Lauri loves seeing the progress made in her patients, how hard they work, and seeing the end result. Whether it is in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, or the Respiratory Rehab. The progress in her patients is what makes it all worth it to Lauri, making them believe in themselves once again.

When Lauri was asked how she described Ivinson, she responded, ​“Ivinson is a community of caring, giving people which is what makes us a great team.”

Sueann Wasmuth, CNA

CANCER CENTER — 25 YEARS AT IVINSON

Sueann is a CNA for the Meredith and Jeannie Ray Cancer Center here at Ivinson Hospital where she trains all the Patient Care Technicians, Certified Nursing Assistants, and the scheduler, while also drawing blood and tending to patients. 

For Sueann, the best part of the Cancer Center is knowing how interconnected each and every employee is not only with each other, but their patients as well. Knowing that every employee is there to make an impact in the cancer center, having the strength every day to make it an enjoyable atmosphere for their coworkers and their patients, picking each other up when someone’s at their worst, and to always be there for them with an open door. 

“It’s the patients, you get to know them inside and out and they become your family,” Sueann says.

Sueann, originally from Wyoming and growing up nearby in Cheyenne, Wyoming, is quite the outdoors person! Sueann grew up doing 4‑H, and still supports the 4‑H club locally. In her downtime, she likes to be outside, enjoying the outdoors to its fullest, hunting and camping, and whenever she gets the chance, she loves to travel. 

Sueann started her journey at Ivinson with Environmental Services (ES). Then she slowly made her way up to work for the PSA program, as a Patient Care Patient Service Associate delivering food. 

After Sueann had her first son, Hunter, she completed a CNA course. She then took up a role as a secretary for the surgical unit for ten years. Once that unit was closed, Elaine Volin, her good friend, helped her get the position she sits in today in the Cancer Center. This journey has been a long one for Sueann, but more than worth it as she adores the work she does now.

Sueann has many things she admires about her work, but one thing that truly makes her love her job is seeing her patients happy and with an overwhelming smile that brightens the day. Whether it’s the smiles and giggles from her patients, interacting with the UW athletes, or how her team can make it better for their patients, she loves it all! 

One of the things she admires most from working in the cancer center is, ​“Ringing that bell of Victory!” Sueann stated. Being part of that growth in her patient’s healthcare journey to celebrate that ringing of the bell at the end of their treatment is something that she always holds dear and true. 

John Byers, DO

HOSPITAL MEDICINE — 15 YEARS AT IVINSON

As a lifetime physician, John ​“JJ” Byers, DO has spent 15 years as a hospitalist at Ivinson following a career as a military physician, serving in Iraq. 

Before he entered the military, Dr. Byers knew a career in medicine was the right choice for him. 

“I had to shadow a doctor when I was in college and I realized that I could do that,” Dr. Byers said of deciding to enter the medical field. 

Through the Army, Dr. Byers attended Martin Army Hospital where he earned his internship, residency and later fellowship. He earned his doctorate of osteopathic medicine, DO, at Lake Erie College in Pennsylvania. 

“I was on a military scholarship through medical school,” Dr. Byers explained. ​“I did my residency through the military and then I did four years of active duty afterwards and that was mostly in Fort Benning, Georgia. And then I did do one year in Ramadi, Iraq.”

Following his military service, Dr. Byers and his family settled in Laramie and he took a job at Ivinson as a hospitalist, where he has stayed for the last 15 years. 

As a hospitalist, Dr. Byers cares for patients that are staying on Ivinson’s inpatient medical/​surgical floor and in the ICU. One thing Dr. Byers likes most about Ivinson, is being a small community hospital and being able to make an impact by providing quality, personalized care.

“The hospital’s program itself has probably the best group of physicians in Laramie,” Dr. Byers said. ​“It’s good to work with this group and to be part of this community.”

In his time at Ivinson, Dr. Byers has made significant contributions to patient care practices and protocols. Most significant, he played a major role in leading Ivinson’s team through the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as the Hospitalist Director providing direction to the hospital and a valuable resource for the community.

Bryant Bitner, RT

CARDIOPULMONARY — 10 YEARS AT IVINSON

Bryant Bitner entered the healthcare field at full speed and in the back of an ambulance. Nearly two decades later, he has made a crash landing at Ivinson, a place that feels like home. 

“I was an EMT basic for five years and then worked on a surface mine rescue team while I was in school before I came here, up in North Antelope Mine outside of Gillette,” Bryant said. Knowing he was interested in the healthcare field. Bryant had no interest in getting a slow start and jumped straight into the excitement of EMT basics. 

Once attending Casper College’s respiratory therapy program, the appeal of a small hospital became apparent during his clinical tours. The opportunity of being able to learn both inpatient and outpatient modalities without ​“paying your dues” in other areas first. It was why Bryant chose Ivinson’s cardiopulmonary team and has remained here for the last 10 years. 

“We have such a great team here. I mean, that’s the joy of a smaller hospital, is everyone works well together,” Bryant said of what has kept him here the last 10 years. 

Bryant is a respiratory therapist and a clinical educator. Bryant hold his teaching certification, providing Basic Life Support, CPR and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support instruction to provide certification to others. 

In his career at Ivinson, Bryant is most proud of the impact he and the hospital team were able to have during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We had to step outside our boundaries, use different ventilator modes or have a different approach to help some of those patients that usually respond well to things we have done in the past. But since it was a different pathology, we had to try something different to help them. The patients that did well, that responded- it was really rewarding because it could have been a different outcome if we wouldn’t have tried.”

Outside of uncertain times, Bryant finds a lot of satisfaction in the work he does and the difference he is able to make in the patients he works with.

“Anytime we’re successful with a kid, it feels good. We don’t get very many pediatric infant traumas thankfully, but anytime we do and we’re successful, that just really makes it worth it.”

Slowing down to smell the flowers, Bryant has made Laramie home for him and his family who can often be found camping and travelling. 

“I enjoy coming to work here,” Bryant said. ​“It’s my home away from home.” 

Kassie Miller, RT

DIETARY — 5 YEARS AT IVINSON

When you think of jobs in healthcare, the first thing that comes to mind is often nurses and doctors. For Kassie Miller, her career in healthcare has led her to being a cook in Ivinson’s dietary department.

“A lot goes into feeding an entire hospital,” Kassie said. ​“On average, just during lunch, we feed at least five to 600 people. That doesn’t include all the meals that we run to the floor.”

What started as a change of scenery to help a friend, has turned into a permanent career change for Kassie, who enjoys the fast pace of the kitchen and keeping people fed.

“I remember my first year as a cook, a large amount of patients on all of the floors was 15 to 20. Now, we see 20 on one floor alone, and that’s not counting all the other departments. We’ve seen an influx of patients and of staff. There’s been a lot of changes in the last five years.”

With so much influx, the biggest challenge in Kassie’s job tends to be the ordering. Figuring out how much to order for each week. Not only does she account for employees, patients, family, guests but also the growing number of regulars and other public that eat in the Mountain View Café. 

Prior to moving to Laramie, Kassie worked for a program called CHAT, working with adults with disabilities. At Ivinson, Kassie finds a way to make an impact to individuals outside of cooking, by connecting with several of the students working with Project SEARCH. The nine month job training program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities has resulted in the employment of several Project SEARCH student, several of whom Kassie has had the opportunity to work with in her kitchen. 

For Kassie, she finds satisfaction in the work she does in both the feel good moments and in the heat of the moment. 

“Honestly, my favorite part of my work tends to be a pain, but it’s when I run out of food, especially during lunch. That tells me, okay, these people like what I’m cooking. If everybody enjoys my food, then I’m fine with that.”

Employees Hitting Major Milestones