Veterans Find a New Mission Improving Patients' Lives

A passion for patient care, and a path to a dream career

Lisa Nuckolls had no intention of joining the service. Rather, she was looking for a path to pursue her dream career of caring for people in need. “Looking back, I wish I could say I felt the need to serve,” says Nuckolls. “And honestly, I did, just not in the military. I wanted to work in healthcare, and I needed money for college.”

Nuckolls says she was lucky to join the U.S. Army Reserve when there was a shortage of nurses. She used her military benefit to attend college and become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Along the way, she reached the rank of specialist E-4, the highest junior-enlisted rank. She then finished two additional semesters and after graduating as a registered nurse (RN) she was commissioned as an officer.

Becoming a nurse with the Army Reserve afforded Nuckolls the opportunity to travel across the country to care for patients. She was stationed in Fort Dix in New Jersey, Fort Sam Houston in Texas, and Fort Lewis in Washington state. She also worked in several VA hospitals and reserve units and participated in Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) training. Nuckolls served for 12 years, had three babies along the way, and reached the rank of First Lieutenant. “I loved every minute of it!” she says.

In 2002, Nuckolls resigned her commission to take the next step in her healthcare career. She became a nurse consultant and continued in clinical and operational roles supporting people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Today, she is director of clinical healthcare operations at Interwell Health, where she leads clinical teams to help them provide the best care for our patients.

“The job description really outlined the things I’m passionate about,” says Nuckolls. “I believe in value-based care and Interwell is embracing care management in a way I am truly supportive of. Working for a mission-driven company makes it easier to stay focused and grounded, and to ‘rally the troops’ for a common cause.”

Nuckolls carries the values from her time in service to her role at Interwell, especially the importance of respect. “A mission needs everybody: administration, communication, execution, frontline soldiers, cooks, laundry, you name it. No matter the title or the rank, everyone has value, and we are all in this together.” She adds that Interwell’s core values — care deeply, work together, humility, bring joy, and deliver on promises — align closely with the Army’s core values of loyalty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. “It’s easy to support an organization that has values similar to your own.”

Serving in the Army Reserve gave Lisa tremendous respect for her fellow veterans. “When I joined the service, I did not know what it meant to be a veteran. Even though I did not fight in a war, I now have a greater appreciation for anyone who signs on that line, or who wanted to serve but was not qualified, or who stayed here to support our soldiers in any aspect. I think the best way we can honor and appreciate our veterans is to thank them when we see them and be the best Americans we can be.”

A life with no regrets, an opportunity to build something bigger 

“I was born and raised in rural Texas, in ranch country outside of Houston,” says Chad Humphrey. “I felt a calling to serve. My dad was enlisted in the Navy for four years. His brother was an Army officer. My grandfather was in the Navy. Both of my parents are retired police officers.” Humphrey enlisted in the Army after graduating with a degree in finance. He wanted to test his mettle, and he didn’t want to live with any regrets, he says.

Humphrey’s first duty station was in Germany, where his first son was born in a German hospital. After traveling throughout Europe with the Army, he was deployed to Afghanistan. When Humphrey decided to leave the Army, he requested to transition out in Texas so his wife could be close to her family. They now live in Austin with their three boys, who are in elementary, middle, and high school.

In his current role as vice president of healthcare operations at Interwell, Humphrey leads team initiatives such as a program to improve rates of provider visits post-discharge. “We are signing up a lot of new payers, which means a lot of new patients,” says Humphrey. “My responsibilities include providing vision and guidance for the team, and helping them overcome any barriers or challenges as we continue to scale up to be able to support new patients as they become eligible.”

The values that resonated with Humphrey in the military are applicable to leaders in any organization, he says. He calls out the value of teamwork and the important lesson that “leaders eat last,” meaning effective leaders prioritize the well-being of their team, whether that team is a platoon of soldiers deployed abroad or an interdisciplinary care team working remotely across the country.

Humphrey also enjoys working for a company where he feels like he is a part of something bigger. “I could have taken a really long time and some bad experiences to arrive at a place that is a good fit,” he says. “Had I gone a different route, into investment banking or something like that, I suspect it would not have been a good fit and I would have run for the doors. It’s easy to do the work I do here knowing it’s about more than me.”

Humphrey doesn’t talk about his time in service much, but he is deliberate about using Veterans Day to remember his experience and honor his fellow veterans. “For me, Veterans Day is a day to intentionally reach out to friends I served with to share memories, catch up, and thank them. I talk about my military experience with my kids and explain to them that service can mean different things to different people. Looking back on my time in the Army is bittersweet. The camaraderie I found is like nothing else.”