Healthcare, in many ways, is all about connections. It’s the marriage of science and compassion, empathy and evidence-based practices, and training and technology. In the spirit of perfect complements, and with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to highlight two co-workers whose connection sparks happiness within the healthcare system and at home.

Christy Lung, a respected nursing services manager at Parkview Regional Medical Center, and her husband, Matt, a web artitect for the healthcare system, have been blending their work and domestic lives into one harmonious routine for the last 17 years. Their respect for the roles they play and dedication to support each other’s goals make this pair a true example of the committed, collaborative People of Parkview.

Name: Christy Lung
Name: Matt Lung

Christy’s official title: Nursing Services Manager, 6 Medical
Matt’s official title: Web Architect

Describe your education and career journey:

Christy: I graduated from the University of Indianapolis with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology in December 2001. In December 2004, I graduated with an ASN, and started my nursing career on Medical Telemetry. I worked there for a few years before going to the registry pool so I could stay at home more with our growing family and continue my education. I completed my MSN in 2010 through Ball State University. By that time, Parkview Regional Medical Center had opened, and my former tele manager, Carma Shoemaker, was managing 7 Medical. Carma hired me into a nurse leader position, and I worked there until I was hired as the manager of 6 Medical in 2015.

Matt:

• BS Purdue University (Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology), 2002
• Started off as a Network/Systems/Software Engineer, 2002 - 2008
• Software Engineer, 2008 - 2011
• Sr. Web Architect, 2011 - 2013
• Sr. Software Engineer, 2013 – 2015
• Web Architect, 2015 - present

 

What inspired you to pursue this profession/specialty?

Christy: My original plan was to go to school to be a physician’s assistant.  While I was at U of I, I had an opportunity to take EMT classes outside of school, taught by a classmate of mine. Because I had taken those classes, I was able to get a job at Parkview as an Emergency Care Technician in the Emergency Department the summer before I graduated. At the time, I thought it was a great way to learn more about the role of the PAs in the emergency room. It turns out that it was the nurses that inspired me the most. I loved the patient interactions, the teamwork, and the way they were always teaching. Through watching them, I decided that my calling was not to be a PA, but I was supposed to be a nurse. I chose leadership because I like to be able to fit things together to see the big picture. I like processes and problem solving, and I love being part of a team.

Matt: As a kid, I loved to take things apart and figure out how they worked. I got my first computer at 12 and ripped it apart. I built my first PC at 14 after saving up to buy all the parts and software from mowing lawns all summer. I just kept going from there.

What are your daily responsibilities?

Christy: Generally speaking, I am responsible for the quality of service on 6 Medical. There are many things involved, including rounding on patients, onboarding and orientation for new nurses and PCTs, day-to-day staffing, patient flow, outcome measurement, continuous process improvement, coaching and mentoring, conflict resolution, managing our budget, etc.

Matt: I’m primarily responsible for operation/development of SharePoint platform (O365 Pulse).

What are some of the unique challenges of your position?

Christy: Competing priorities - both at work and at home. Not everything can be the top priority.

Matt: Trying to make 13,000 users happy all at once. Trying to get users to understand how something works and get them engaged.

The most rewarding?

Christy: Being part of a successful Magnet journey was really awesome. That’s not something that happens every day, and for us to go as a system – wow! In general, though, I get a lot of joy from watching the growth within my team. Achieving optimal outcomes for our patients, completing a successful process improvement project together, watching them take care of and coach each other, hearing praise from our patients about how one of my coworkers went out of their way to show kindness … those are my feel-good moments.

Matt: When you help someone or a group that genuinely appreciates the help accomplishing their goals.

How did you two meet?

Christy: We met through mutual friends. We knew of each other in high school, but we didn’t start dating until college. My parents moved to Michigan my first year of college. I came down to visit a friend of mine who was dating a friend of Matt’s. We spent the Fourth of July weekend together.

Matt: I remember, at Christy’s 15th birthday party, my friend drug me over to her house to say hi to her and another friend. We contemplated saran wrapping her car as we left. (She’s never heard that.) Little did I know a few years later we’d meet again, and that was the start of it all. 

What year did you get married?

Christy: We got married in December 2001. We had a big Christmas wedding. The church was still decorated with poinsettias; it was really pretty. I think it was the coldest day of that season, but it was a lot of fun.

How does working for the same healthcare system impact your home life?

Christy: We do talk about work at home, bouncing ideas off of each other. Matt helps me work through different ways of organizing projects and how to utilize our technology to my advantage. I think I can provide him with a unique perspective that he wouldn’t normally have as an IS coworker.

Matt: It all blends together now.

How do you achieve work/life balance?

Christy: We have four kids at home, so we have a lot going on. When it’s not 12 degrees outside, we spend a lot of time outside walking in our neighborhood, playing catch, and shooting baskets. Matt is good at gardening, too.

What excites you about the future?

Christy: It’s exciting to watch our kids grow. The last 12 (almost 13) years have gone by so quickly already. I’m hoping that out of the four, one is bound to be a nurse, right?

Matt: Seeing our kids grow up is exciting and sad at the same time. 

What is your greatest passion outside of work?

Christy: I love working with my hands sewing, painting and doing crafts. I could spend hours in a fabric store.

Matt: Trying to travel, being outside, kids, Purdue and the Cubs.

 

If you could tell people to read one book in their lifetime, which would it be and why?

Christy: It sounds silly, but when the kids were younger, my favorite book to read to them was “The Little Blue Truck”. It’s a simple book about kindness and teamwork, but it gets the message across. Now that they are getting older, I excited to share “To Kill a Mockingbird” with them.

Matt: “I Can’t Accept Not Trying” by Michael Jordan. It’s only like 36 pages long but very impactful. 

What would we find on your bucket list and what do you plan to check off next?

Christy: Snorkeling in Hawaii. Matt and I are taking a trip this year!

Matt: Trying to travel more! I’d love to work for Disney and live in a warmer climate, too.

What’s the best piece of marriage advice you’ve ever received?

Christy: Don’t go to bed mad. If you go to bed angry, neither one of you can sleep anyway!

Matt: If your wife ever says, “What?”, it’s not because she didn’t hear you, she’s giving you a chance to change what you said. I’m really good at that.