Thanks for working here this week: Shawna Hupke-Likness, PTA, Rehabilitation Services

Campbell County Health is proud of its employees, and we want the CCH family and the Campbell County community to know about the good work that they do for this organization.

Allow us to introduce Shawna Hupke-Likness, PTA, the Clinical Supervisor for Rehabilitation Services in Gillette, Wyoming. Shawna has earned associates degrees in medical records and Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA), as well as a bachelor’s in science degree in business management. She’s been with CCH for nearly 20 years, and has been in healthcare for 28 years. If you didn’t know, Rehabilitation Services provides physical therapy and occupational rehabilitation care in the Northeast Wyoming region.

Shawna’s first job in healthcare was working in medical records. “Right after I graduated with my degree I was in a minor car accident that caused whiplash, neck pain and chronic headaches. My physical therapist encouraged me to go back to school to become a physical therapy assistant because he felt that sitting at a desk full time would not be good for me. After five years of working in medical records I returned to school and began a career in direct patient care working as a physical therapy assistant,” she says.

Shawna calls her health care hero her sister-in-law, Tiffany Valnes. “She received her first heart transplant at the age of 17. She went on to become a registered nurse. She was a very smart, compassionate woman who struggled with health issues all of her life, yet still got up and went to work at least on a part time basis and cared for others. She carried a large bag of medications everywhere she went that were required to simply function,” she says. “At 36, she went in for her second heart transplant and unfortunately did not survive due to complications. She left a lasting impression on everyone she met and gave of herself even when she probably didn’t feel very well due to her significant medical problems. The true example of a hero.”

When she’s not working, Shawna spends time with her husband Justin and daughters Ava (12) and Aubrei (9). “My hobbies include cooking, baking, reading and traveling. My family is hosting a foreign exchange student this year from Italy, and Sara is teaching us about her country and to cook Italian dishes, such as gnocchi and pasta from scratch. We also look forward to traveling to Italy for a visit in the future,” she says.

We asked Shawna what she likes most about working for CCH, and what excellence every day means to her. Check out her response:

“I have the opportunity to work with an amazing group of people in my department. They are smart, driven and try to do the best job they can taking care of each and every one of our patients.

Excellence Every Day for me, means always taking care of patients the way you would want a family member or friend taken care of.”

Thank you, Shawna for taking such great care of our patients. We are proud to have you on our team!

Is there a CCH employee who went the extra mile or shows you extraordinary service? Give them a pat on the back by completing an Excellence Every Day card.

To learn more about Rehabilitation Services, visit www.cchwyo.org/rehab.