For Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Kaela Funches, the path to medicine wasn’t a practical choice so much as a personal calling. At 17, a health scare that resolved easily for her took a tragic turn for her cousin, showing her firsthand the difference dedicated nurses can make on patients and their families.
“When I was 17, my cousin and I both injured our knees,” she said. “I ended up having a sprain, she ended up being found to have cancer, and she died from it in senior year. I was introduced to a bunch of lovely nurses who helped take care of her, and that inspired me to do nursing.”
That formative experience led to a seven-year career as a nurse before she went back to school to become a nurse practitioner. Funches now works at NorthShore Health Centers’ Gary clinic, where she serves a community that she understands on a personal level – through her own life experiences with poverty and hardship.
“I really resonate with the population that we serve,” she said. “I grew up low-income, first-generation. I’ve been on Medicaid, I’ve been on food stamps, and I’ve been homeless. I can feel for a lot of the patients who we see. I like giving back to this community. It’s like a healthcare desert here, so NorthShore is an essential resource. I know that because I used to come to places like this for healthcare.”
Throughout her education and career, Funches explored a number of disciplines – oncology, cardiology, and home health. She decided on becoming a nurse practitioner because she loved primary care’s focus on preventative medicine. When she went back to school for it, she happened to have her first child, an experience that inspired her to specialize in pediatrics.
“I really enjoy working with the kiddos,” she said. “They’re still so innocent and carefree, and sometimes they’re scared to come in to see the doctor. I try to be as comforting as I can while also taking time out to listen to the parents.”
Funches especially loves the long-term relationships pediatrics allows her to build with families.
“You see these kids every few months or every year, so it’s like you get to grow with the patient which I think is very important,” she said. “It’s very important to stress preventative care, like keeping kids up to date on vaccines or talking about diet and exercise. You need to have those conversations with the families but also hear their concerns. You want them involved with their own care.”
Funches is also excited to see NorthShore continuing to expand the services it provides to patients, including a comprehensive baby healthcare and parent support group called Centering Parenting.
“It’s open to new moms or mothers with multiple children,” she said. “It’s an educational, group therapy kind of setting. It gives parents the chance to bond with other parents about what it’s like to raise a child. It lets them ask questions and get extra resources and education.”
Funches’ dedication and community programs such as Centering Parenting showcase the compassionate, mission-driven care provided by NorthShore Health Centers. To learn more about the organization, or to schedule an appointment, visit northshorehealth.org.
