Bartine

Mary Bartine was a petite lady, but her unassuming stature stood as an ironic background to the large impact she left on health care in Marshalltown.

Bartine, a nurse at the hospital in Marshalltown for more than 50 years, died recently due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Since then, caregivers whose lives touched Bartine’s have been grieving the loss while celebrating her legacy.

It was at the previous hospital in Marshalltown (UnityPoint Health opened a new facility in 2022) where Jen Arneson first met Bartine.

“I met Mary as a young, inexperienced nurse in the ICU,” said Arneson, now the Director of Nursing at UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown. “As the night house supervisor, the staff referred to her as the ‘Queen of the Night.’ I often thought of her as our Mother Theresa.

“She exemplified everything I wanted to be as a nurse. She was a fierce advocate for both the patients and the staff along with a gentle, humble and compassionate spirit. She expected high quality and integrity from the staff, while being willing to come alongside and teach us how to perform that way. More than the skills I learned from Mary, she inspired me to love being a nurse and to value the impact I could have on people. Her legacy will not soon be forgotten.”

Indeed. The pinnacle of Bartine’s career came in 2008, when she was named one of the state’s 100 Great Nurses.

Dr. Lance VanGundy, ER physician and former medical director of the emergency department, recalls the ripple effect emanating from Bartine’s half-century of devotion to health care.

“Mary was one of those rare nurses who lived the mission of caring for others – not just on the job, but that grace permeated into everything about her nature,” he says. “She had an infectious smile and a rare ability to see only the best in her patients. That kindness was infectious, and it modelled the kind of care generations of medical providers and doctors, as well as nurses, benefitted from.

“If one considers that the life you live ripples out and affects those around you, one of Mary’s legacies is that her ripples endured for decades, and we are made poor by her absence.”

In her retirement, she served as a hospice volunteer, and the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Iowa recognized her with the Honored Volunteer Award in 2018.

Bartine was also a leader at Sacred Heart Church in St. Anthony, while serving as a Sacristan and Eucharistic minister at St. Joseph’s Church in State Center. She managed the Community Cupboard and was the chairperson of funeral dinners. In 2019, she was recognized by the Catholic Diocese in Dubuque with the Our Lady of Good Counsel Award, an honor based on spirituality, leadership and service.

As night supervisor, Bartine was essentially the hospital administrator when leadership was gone for the day. She approached the role as a servant leader, noted former coworker Chris Schill.

“Nothing was outside of Mary’s role, whether helping patients to the bathroom to starting IVs to performing CPR to holding hands and praying with a dying patient,” Schill said. “Mary was always there and with her love and compassion. She was truly a super nurse and individual, an angel of mercy.”

Kim Smith, RN, in the medical-surgical unit, remembers Bartine fondly.

“Mary was the most generous and kind person you would ever meet,” Smith said. “She had a huge heart for the staff and for our patients. Mary was always there to help you with a patient. She had a way of making the patient feel comfortable, and she would give you the confidence you needed for any procedure you had to do with the patient.”

Tammy Zimmer, RN, marveled at how Bartine would make a professional duty so personal.

“Mary was always checking on the patients to see how each one was doing and making sure we were giving the best care,” Zimmer said. “She always knew more about each patient than the nurse caring for them! I decided to continue my education to become an RN with Mary’s encouragement. She became my mentor and helped me to become a much better nurse.”

Beyond an unwavering integrity and boundless energy, Bartine is remembered for her “thumb IV” starts (which found veins when others failed), the way she baked to celebrate birthdays and how she had a table of gifts for team members every Christmas.

“There will never be anybody like Mary Bartine,” Smith said. “She was a very special person.”

“Mary nurtured many, many nurses and team members throughout her career – coaching, comforting and supporting all to grow to be the best they could be,” Schill recalled. “She always saw the best in everyone, and her dedication was incomparable. If there was a shift that needed to be filled, Mary always volunteered to fill it. It was not uncommon for Mary to work multiple shifts in a row or hours in a day. Patients needed care, and Mary was not going to see their care compromised in any way.

“Mary was a blessing from God to us all, and there will never be another like her. May we all strive to live our lives like Mary, a role model as an angel of mercy and servant leader.”