HURON In a generous final act of compassion, the trust of the late Nancy Balvin has distributed $26,768 to the Huron Regional Medical Center (HRMC) Foundation to benefit the HRMC Hospice program. The funds will be placed into a dedicated Hospice Endowment Fund managed by the Foundation, ensuring Balvins spirit of caring lives on in the lives of patients and families facing end-of-life challenges.
Balvin was a beloved figure in South Dakotas health care community. She holds the distinction of being the first certified nurse practitioner (CNP) in the state, a title that underscores her pioneering role in expanding access to advanced nursing care.
She graduated from St. Johns School of Nursing in Huron in 1958 and received her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from South Dakota State University in 1961. She worked as a nurse at St. Johns Hospital (now HRMC), SDSU Dormitory and Tschetter & Hohm Clinic in her early career. In 1975, Balvin obtained her nurse practitioner certification from the University of North Dakota and also achieved her physicians assistant certification.
Over the years, Nancy served patients in Huron and the surrounding region with tireless dedication, compassion, and clinical excellence in her work as a CNP/PA at Tschetter & Hohm Clinic, HRMC, and Belyea-Balvin Clinic.
Outside her work, Nancy was known for her leadership, passion for health care and nursing. She served as president of the South Dakota Nurses Association for a time and contributed to the community through a variety of volunteer efforts, including joining the HRMC Auxiliary in her last years in Huron. Her decision to direct a significant trust gift to hospice reflects a lifetime of empathy and a recognition of the importance of dignity, comfort, and support in ones final days.
This gift from Nancys trust is a meaningful extension of her lifes work, said Mati Felderman, director of HRMC community engagement and HRMC Foundation. Through this donation, Nancy continues to serve people in her community even beyond her lifetime.
HRMC Hospice offers individualized comfort care, emotional and spiritual support, and resources to both patients and their loved ones. The hospice program is sustained in part by community generosity, volunteer efforts, and dedicated staff who strive to bring dignity and peace in each case.
The HRMC Foundation will ensure that Nancys gift is used in alignment with her wishes, sustaining a legacy of compassion. For more information about supporting HRMC Hospice or establishing a named fund in honor of a loved one, please contact [email protected] or call 605-353-6319.
Leave a Reply