Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. - In 1998 as a first-grader, you would have found her in the tiny mountain town of Woodville, Virginia where she loved going to work with her mother, a pediatric nurse.
"I loved helping her take vitals after school," Katie said. "She was always so knowledgeable. She always knew what to do and just cared for people. She just loved what she did."
Katie also enjoyed caring for chickens, goats, pigs, sheep, and cows in the fresh mountain air of her small town.
"It was really fun," she said. "In Woodville there are more cows than people."
But as she grew up, her strong Christian faith called her, her mother's caring example drove her, and an unexpected encounter fueled her.
Katie transferred to George Mason University on a ROTC scholarship after her freshman year, fueled by the desire to serve her country after attending her brother's basic training graduation.
"I was just blown away by an overwhelming desire to serve the country. There is something about an entire group of people deciding to serve a higher purpose together as a team," she said.
In 2013, 2nd Lt. Katie Von Fange moved to Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. At Brooke Army Medical Center, Katie began life as a 66H, Army Medical-Surgical Nurse, joined at the hip to a mentor for six months in the Clinical Nurse Transition Program.
When she had completed CNTP, Katie learned additional nursing skills and became a mentor for other incoming CNTP candidates.
Then, in 2015, at the 738,000 square foot hospital with the 5,000-space parking structure, one nurse suddenly stood out among everyone else. And it wasn't because she was wearing a red-and-white striped hat and sweater (Google "Where's Waldo" for more on standing out in a crowd).
Katie was awarded "RN of the Year" at BAMC for outstanding performance and leadership.
She was also selected to star in the GOARMY.COM nurse recruiting video, "Life as a U.S. Army Nurse." To watch the video visit: https://youtu.be/8_AA_WNzQwI
But where in the world is Katie now?
Married and thinking about children of her own, 1st Lt. Katie Platz is living her dream as a registered staff nurse at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
"I love it. I love helping people," Katie said. "I love being a patient advocate and being in a position to help and comfort others."
Unlike Waldo, great nurses are easy to spot. They do what they do because they care.
And they're everywhere.
(Editor's note: John Brooks is the Marketing Specialist at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital)
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