Debra K. Meneely was drawn to the field of nursing through her desire to provide greater opportunities to support, educate and care for pediatric patients, particularly from all socioeconomic backgrounds. First receiving a diploma from Copley Memorial Hospital in 1975, Ms. Meneely became certified as a pediatric nurse and a registered nurse prior to delving into her professional career. Throughout the course of her career, she has excelled in a myriad of prominent nursing-related roles. She served as a staff nurse III and coordinator of the pediatric mock code program at Wishard Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis, a pediatric clinical manager at Interim Health Care, and a pediatric case manager at Community Health Network.
Later in her career, Ms. Meneely thrived as a financial coordinator at Clarion/IU Health Solid Organ Transplant Center, as well as an instructor for licensed pediatric nurses at the J. Everett Light Career Center for Women & Children’s Services. Additionally, she is a former case manager for Eskenazi Health. Presently, Ms. Meneely serves as a pediatric complex case manager at MDwise, Inc. She plans to retire in August of 2022.
To remain abreast of developments in the ever-evolving field of nursing, Ms. Meneely has maintained professional membership with the Case Management Society of America and the Central Indiana Case Management Society of America. To this end, she attributes much of her success to her affinity for educating others in compassionate, inclusive environments. To wit, Ms. Meneely herself has personal experience with being a parent to children who were born with medical differences, and she has leveraged those experiences to exhibit great empathy and understanding to all her patients.
As a testament to her success, Ms. Meneely was honored with the Ritter-Severns Legacy Award, as well as recognized by the Indiana University School of Obstetrics and Gynecology for excellent services in nursing. She was also selected for inclusion in the fourth and fifth editions of Who’s Who in America Nursing. Outside of her primary endeavors, she previously participated in a support group in relation to craniofacial abnormalities. Looking toward the future, she intends to ease into a well deserved retirement after spending several decades of eminence in her field.