ROCK SPRINGS — Seeing all the pieces come together as a case manager is the most rewarding part of the job, according to Rachel Lance, BSN, RN.

Lance, an experienced nurse manager, recently was promoted to Director of Case Management at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County. She fills the spot left vacant by Robin Jenkins who retired after 39 years of service.

“Rachel’s clinical expertise, leadership abilities, and unwavering commitment to patient-centered care make her exceptionally well suited for this role,” Interim CNO Ann Clevenger said. “She has earned the respect of her colleagues through her dedication, compassion, and collaborative approach, and I am confident she will continue to strengthen our case management services for the benefit of our patients, families, and community.”

Lance was initially drawn to healthcare because of how emotionally rewarding it can be.

“Nursing allows me to have meaningful impact on people’s lives and well-being,” she said. “The personal connection is the main reason I chose this profession.”

In her job as a case manager, she works closely with patients and their families to guide them through the medical system and identify gaps or priority needs in their healthcare plan.

“We collaborate with the entire healthcare team to develop a plan that strives to ensure that patients have what they need to be successful upon discharge,” she said.

“It sounds cliché, but the thing I enjoy the most about my job is the people I work with,” Lance said. “From the case management group to the rest of the team including lab, imaging, nursing, physicians, etc. When you see all the pieces come together in a successful outcome for a patient it is such a great feeling.”

Lance worked as a medical floor staff nurse at Sweetwater Memorial from 2014-2016. She went on to work as an inpatient staff nurse and inpatient manager. She returned to MHSC in 2023 as a nurse case manager and was promoted to lead case manager in 2024. She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grand Canyon University-Phoenix and an Associate Degree in Nursing from Western Wyoming College.

Most of her free time is spent with family.

“I have three amazing sons who keep me very busy,” she said. “But if I have a moment to myself, it is spent in my garden or reading a book.”