2007 Healthcare Hero
Kathleen Batchelor
Nurse / Oswego

Known in the operating room as K.B., Kathleen Batchelor has been a nurse with Oswego Hospital for 45 years and is currently contemplating retirement.

"She has been employed there through the birth of her three sons and has worked in various departments, mainly in the operating room," says Batchelor's son, Subway franchisee Chris Batchelor. "She has been there to see the hospital go through many changes and growth."
Batchelor says she's proud of her years of service. She's also proud to see a family member carrying on her legacy—her oldest granddaughter is a part of the New Visions 2007 class.
Having been in the business so long, Batchelor says she's seen generations of patients and many medical modernizations. She considers positive letters she receives from those she cares for as a sign that she's meeting the needs of patients. Batchelor's efforts also helped bring about Oswego Hospital's new ICU and obstetric unit.

Batchelor has not only looked out for her patients, but her coworkers as well. As a member of the hospital benefits committee, Batchelor helped implement a system of new benefits for long-term employees, which included more vacation time based on years of service and revised holiday coverage to ensure no one had to work the same holiday every year. Performance-based salary increments were also instituted.

In addition to hospital committees, Batchelor is a member of the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses and helps organize events like the YMCA Reindeer Run and March of Dimes Run.