Family Ties: KC and Lisa Humphrey believe Methodist is all about culture and character

A common sentiment of Methodist employees is that their coworkers feel like family. For some employees, that's a reality because their spouse, sibling, child or other relative also works for the health system. 

In this feature, you'll learn more about KC and Lisa Humphrey, Methodist employees who feel like they’re a part of something bigger than themselves.

How long have you been married? Tell us more about your lives outside of work.

We’ve been married for almost seven years. We have really similar backgrounds. We moved all over the country as kids, we were competitive swimmers, and we were terrible teenagers. 

We have a 20-year-old daughter, who was born at Methodist Hospital and has never been terrible a day in her life. She is studying fisheries and wildlife at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

We enjoy being outside on the many local paved trails, either running, biking or walking our dogs. We love all animals and are long-term vegetarians who have recently transitioned to being vegan. 

We enjoy watching Nebraska and Oklahoma State football, Seattle Mariners baseball, and Oklahoma City Thunder basketball. 

We have a big LP collection and love listening to music from the 1960s through the 1980s on our stereo with vintage wood case speakers. While we’re listening to music, we’re probably in the kitchen cooking up something awesome. 

We also love supporting local restaurants with vegan options on the menu. If anyone needs an opinion on a restaurant, we probably have one.

How did you meet?

We met the old-fashioned way – on Match.com. KC was out on a run on the Big Papio Trail on a terribly hot, humid day. She was resting in shade of a tree along the trail when she got a notification that Lisa liked her profile. Exactly one year later, we got married under that same tree – behind the Midas near 90^th and Center. It was an unconventional spot to get married, but it was unique and meaningful to the two of us, so it was perfect. 

Tell us a little bit about your current roles at Methodist.

Lisa is the director of Food and Nutrition Services at Methodist Women’s Hospital. She’s been in that role for about three years. Prior to that, she was the manager of Patient Services for Food Service at Methodist Hospital. She also serves on the Sustainability Committee.

KC is an occupational therapist and worked at Methodist Hospital for nearly five years before transitioning to the role of Clinical Command Center manager at the 825 Building. The Clinical Command Center is the new home for centralized clinical functions that can be handled remotely. Currently, the department consists of the bed coordination and transfer center, but the department is expected to be expanding very soon. 

We also co-chair the SHINE employee resource group (ERG), which is the LGBTQIA+ allies employee resource group. We get to work with a great group of individuals on the SHINE team and have made a lot of friends. Everyone is welcome to join the SHINE ERG. We’re planning lots of great social, advocacy and community events – plus, we’re lots of fun. We definitely need a lot of volunteers to help us get ready for the 2024 Heartland Pride Parade because we’re planning on having our biggest entry ever, which includes a float featuring DJ/RN Angie Spence.

How did each of you find your place at Methodist?

A friend of KC’s from occupational therapy (OT) school posted on Facebook that Methodist was looking for an OT to join its acute care therapy team. She jumped at the chance to apply. 

KC called Lisa during a break on her first day of the big orientation class that they used to hold at the corporate offices on Dodge Street. She told Lisa that she needed to come work for Methodist. Lisa was already employed elsewhere, but it was clear from that first day of orientation that the culture at Methodist is very special. It’s important to both of us that we work for an organization with a mission and culture that we can believe in. Methodist encourages employees to do the right thing and allows employees the freedom to go above and beyond for our patients, coworkers and visitors. Lisa joined Methodist about three or four months after KC did, and we’ve both been here ever since.

What is it about Methodist that keeps you coming back?

It’s all about the culture and character of Methodist. It makes a big difference that Methodist is headquartered locally and serves local communities. Basically, everyone who works at Methodist – whether they’re working in patient care or working at any of the dozens of other places within the health system – are serving their own families, friends and neighbors. That’s important because we’re serving the communities where we live and the people we love, so it gives our jobs a special kind of meaning. 

What should people know about Methodist?

Once you’re a part of the Methodist family, you feel like you’re a part of something bigger than just yourself. There are so many places you can work where you are just a worker or an employee number; you’re just there to do the job. Methodist wants their employees to be the best people they can be, because caring comes from people, not from employee numbers. Since Nebraska Methodist College is part of our system, there are many opportunities to increase your knowledge, whether that’s through a degree, a certification or continuing education courses. Also, there are so many roles within the health system and many opportunities for growth and development. If you’re not content in your current role, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and see what other opportunities exist at Methodist. 

As employees, we need to make sure we extend The Meaning of Care to one another. Remember, nothing makes you feel quite as good as giving or receiving kindness.