The adage, “There’s no ‘I’ in team,” was never more apparent to Randi Berg, APRN, than during her collegiate days playing softball for Kaskaskia College.
“I really enjoyed playing softball. Playing at the collegiate level taught me a lot about hard work and the dedication needed to do well. I learned to step back and listen, and learned that it’s not just about me, but about everyone else in the picture. We developed a family amongst ourselves and would pick up where the other left off, and we developed strong communication skills. It take a team to succeed and you know you are not alone,” Berg added.
She has taken these life skills and applied them in her professional life as an advanced practice provider at the SBL Altamont Medical Center where she works alongside Family Physician John Opilka, DO, Advanced Practice Providers Kim Burgess, Heather Forys, and Katie Koester.
“Communication is key. The nurses, the front desk staff, the X-ray technologist and phlebotomist are our team and they all do their best for our patients. The patient is the center of our care team,” she added.
As a student in her high school Heath Occupations class, she had the opportunity to explore different fields and nurse practitioner caught her attention. “I really enjoyed the idea of caring for a patient throughout their life span, and help them live a better quality of life,” she recalls.
Berg earned her bachelor’s in nursing at St. John’s College of Nursing in Springfield and started her nursing career there working in the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit. She later earned her master’s degree in nursing at Maryville University, St. Louis.
Working in a fast-paced environment in a Level 1 trauma center in Springfield, Berg developed crucial critical thinking skills, which she credits for making her a better nurse practitioner. “I think about what medications my patients are taking, what they’ve done at home, and what’s going on in the community. I live here, my daughter goes to school here, and I go to church here. I am part of this community. It’s important for me to know my patients well so I can understand the whole picture,” Berg explained.
Despite Berg’s expertise as ICU and ER nurse, she knew she wanted to do something different. There were times when people from her community were admitted to the ICU in Springfield, and she was their nurse. “I knew I wanted to do something more to care for the whole patient, not just when in crisis, but care for them from birth to adult hood and hopefully prevent an ICU hospitalization.”
“After living away for more than four years, coming back home and providing care to the people who mean the most to me is something that is very important to me. I want to give them access to quality care, and if they need care outside the community, I want to help them find that as close to home as possible.”
To make an appointment with Randi Berg call 618 483-6151. Her office is located at the SBL Altamont Medical Center at 8 N. Third Street, Altamont.