Meet RAC Member Melissa, and the Theleman Family

Tell us more about yourself (Melissa) and why you chose to be involved in the Foundation:

“I have always had a passion for public health and caring for others within the community. After receiving my MPH and BSN degrees, I have held various positions as a nurse in Pediatric ICUs (KS and Illinois), Director of Nursing for an Illinois Health Department, and my current positions as a PRN nurse navigator at Liberty Hospital and school nurse at St. James Catholic School. Throughout my experiences, I have seen the benefits of The Foundation, especially the Tree House. I hope by joining the Foundation I am able to help continue the wonderful successes of this organization and assist other members in facilitating programs and events to meet the needs of our community, patients, patient families and employees.”

What is your favorite Foundation program?

“In terms of participation, the Run Liberty Half Marathon and 5K. I love to run, and this race is by far my favorite

Melissa and family at the Run Liberty 5K

to participate in. The excitement felt in the community over this event is amazing.” Melissa also notes, “The Treehouse. During my positions in nursing, family support and safe residencies are a necessity. Unfortunately, many families utilizing these types of resources are facing the worst and challenging times in their lives. I have personally seen the impact this beautiful place has on patients and their families. It is lifegiving.”

 Tell us about your family

Theleman Family

“Clayton and I both grew up in small towns in Kansas: Chanute KS – Melissa; Natoma KS- Clayton. We met at Kansas State University and returned to Manhattan KS for our wedding in 2015. We had our son, Noah in Peoria, IL during Clayton’s final year of training and moved to Liberty, MO in Summer of 2019. Ava Noelle joined our family in April 2021 and was born at Liberty Hospital under the wonderful care of Suzanne Eggers and Partners. As a family we enjoy KC and KSU sporting events, fishing, all of our children’s activities and being outdoors as much as possible. We also have cattle and farming businesses near Clayton’s hometown. Clayton is a general and trauma surgeon at Liberty Hospital. He is also the current Trauma Director. I work as a PRN Nurse Navigator at Liberty Hospital Breast Care Center and as a school nurse at St. James Catholic School in addition to CEO of Theleman Household.”

Tell us more about Clayton’s practice and why he chooses to work at Liberty Hospital

Dr. Theleman and his children

“Clayton loves the community he serves and the full scope of this general and trauma surgery practice. During the past 5 years here, it is clear that Liberty Hospital provides many aspects that are key to excellent patient care. The Hospital support to manage complex operations and severe traumas is second to none. Liberty Hospital Administration is extremely supportive of their surgeons and provides the most up-to-date and best technology available for patient care (i.e. DaVinci Robots –2O). Our relationships with our surgeon partners and healthcare units are extremely important and it is hard to find such a cooperative, caring and highly trained team.”

More about the da Vinci Robot

Liberty Hospital has two da Vinci Robots on-site. The machine allows for the surgeon to completely control the surgery.

Dr. Theleman in surgery with the Da Vinci Robot

It features a 3D vision and 10x magnification of the abdomen or surgical area. The Robot allows for a minimally invasive approach allowing for a wide variety of general surgery operations ranging from stomach to colon, hernia repair to colon removal for cancer. The advantages include quick and less painful recovery time due to smaller incisions, lower chances of infection in recovery, and a shorter surgery time. The ability to have a Robot surgery turns many surgeries into out-patient experiences which frees up space for other patient beds in the Hospital.”