Helping nurses be at their best

“For me, it was not just about providing clinical care, it was also about building connections with the kids and families and supporting them through their toughest times.” Holly Colby, who knew this early on, had a fulfilling 44-year career at Children’s, first as nurse clinician and then as leader of ambulatory services until she retired last year.

Holly was hired in 1977 to provide ambulatory specialty care in the Cystic Fibrosis program. In 1988 she transferred to Nephrology, and for 10 years she had the opportunity to continue to work with chronically ill children and support their families. “Doing this work has been both the most challenging and rewarding experience of my career. Kids and parents have been my greatest mentors and I’ll be forever grateful.”

While she worked in Nephrology, Holly completed her Master’s in Nursing. At that time Robert Miller, MD, then Chief Medical Officer, had the vision of starting a program for children with special health care needs. Dr. Miller knew of Holly’s long history at Children’s and offered her the opportunity to develop the Special Needs program—in partnership with John Gordon, MD—to provide care coordination for kids with complex medical histories. “During my time leading this program, I was happy to see it evolve into what is now Complex Care,” she said. This program is currently serving 750 kids and continues to grow.

From 2012 until her retirement, Holly continued to lead ambulatory services in a variety of roles. In March 2020, Holly’s husband, Steve, passed away. Holly worked at Children’s for one more year but then decided to move closer to family in Plover, Wisconsin. “I can’t say enough about what a fulfilling experience I had as a clinician and administrator, and yet I know I have this whole new life in front of me. I want to take my time to find what will bring me purpose.” In the meantime, Holly is enjoying reconnecting with her sisters and their families. She also became a yoga instructor and is teaching at a studio near her home.

Holly became a Guardian Society member in 2020 by including a gift to Children’s in her trust. Holly wants her estate gift to establish an endowed fund that will help ambulatory nurses continue their professional development and education. She feels strongly that to maintain the level of expertise that ambulatory nurses require to be at their best, they need to be supported to continue their education and professional development.

“I had a career that I could’ve never dreamed of—with funding and support to learn what I wanted. I left my clinical work to become an administrator, but my heart has always been in nursing and ambulatory care. The nurses I worked with over the years are so smart and so good at what they do, and they truly have an ongoing desire to learn. I always felt supported at Children’s and now I want to give back.”
—Holly Colby

Like Holly, you can make a gift from your estate to ensure Children’s Wisconsin continues to provide the safest and highest quality care for children and families. Contact Kelly Sachse at (414) 266-6121 or ksachse@childrenswi.org to discuss your options.