The WellSpan Spotlight

Health and wellness

Valentine's Day: WellSpan couples share their thoughts on life, love, and work

Valentine's Day: WellSpan couples share their thoughts on life, love, and work

There are some people who are married to their work. Then there are those who are married at work.

At WellSpan, love is in the air as many of our team members are also real-life couples who work across the health system. From roles as clinicians and engineers, to those who work in management and housekeeping, it's all in the family.

In honor of Valentine's Day this week, some of our team member couples are sharing their unique experiences of being married to a co-worker.

Meet Kimberly and Michael Glatfelter, married for 20 years

Roles at WellSpan: Kim works remotely as a program manager, Vulnerable Populations; Michael works at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital as a medical laboratory scientist

How they met: Kim and Michael met during Senior Week at the Jersey shore.

Family: Two sons: Brody, age 13, and Brackin, age 12. They lost a daughter, Anna  (who passed away in utero at 16 weeks and would have been 14)

When they came to WellSpan: Michael joined in 2005 as a medical technologist at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital. Kim joined WellSpan Philhaven a year later as a behavioral specialist consultant/mobile therapist.

How they support each other at work: "When WellSpan and Philhaven joined, it opened up more options for me as a social worker." Kim said. "I was working toward my Doctor of Social Work degree and Michael got me connected with the supervisor of case management in social work in the hospital for my research."

Sharing is caring: "When I forget my lunch, he will bring it to me since he starts after I do," Kim said. "Also, I tend to 'borrow' money to eat at the cafeteria or get snacks from his locker.

Shop talk: "It's nice having someone understand the barriers of the day," Kim said. "We can bounce ideas off of each other and make sure we are both in the loop about new information that's being disseminated across WellSpan. We really try to work together to support each other and the teams in which we both work."

Meet Drs. Tina Pakala and Frank Senatore, married for three years

Roles at WellSpan: Both are gastroenterologists and are based in Gettysburg, Hanover, and York

How they met: "We had been following nearly parallel lives for seven years before we met," Dr. Senatore said. "Without knowing, we had been one year apart and following in each other's footsteps through medicine for all this time. We attended the same medical school, but our paths never crossed there."

It wasn't until they had nearly completed their internal medicine residencies at the same hospital when their paths finally crossed. Both had just applied and were matched to gastroenterology fellowships, but at different hospitals.

"Our fate seemed to be out of our hands, but ultimately remained on our side as a few months later," he said. "We were fortunate enough to match at fellowship programs in New York and New Jersey, only a few hours apart from each other."

Family: They have a baby on the way.

When they came to WellSpan: They both joined WellSpan in 2022.

"We spent an extensive amount of time in our search, and found that the balance here is quite unique," Dr. Senatore said. "We made the decision to join WellSpan together where individualized opportunities were available to support our medical interests while also supporting the WellSpan community."

Advantages of working for the same company: WellSpan offered them the work-life balance they were seeking.

"We have always felt that making a difference in a patient's life is one of the most fulfilling aspects of being a physician," said Dr. Senatore. "Here at WellSpan, we have been able to achieve this while still building a family, maintaining social relationships outside of work, and being active in hobbies and other interests."

Shop talk: "When we do talk shop, it doesn't feel that way, most likely because we're in the same field," Dr. Pakala said. "We both enjoy discussing all things GI-related, bouncing ideas off each other. It also keeps us up to date."

How to keep it fun: They love to travel and find that the proximity to airports isn't bad. They also enjoy commuting to Baltimore to shop and eat international cuisine.

Meet Amanda and Andrew Troutman, married for two years

Roles at WellSpan: Amanda works as a supervisor, Housekeeping; Andrew works in laundry, both based at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital

How WellSpan played Cupid: Andrew joined WellSpan in 2012 and Amanda joined in 2016. "We met when I started working in the same department," Amanda said. "We did not start dating until after I left the laundry department and went to work in housekeeping."

Advantages of working for the same company: "Because both of our departments work closely together, we try to keep everything professional, but we love being able to see each other throughout the day and know our other half is close by," Andrew said.

Shop talk: "It is difficult to leave work at work, but we manage to try and talk about our day first thing so that the rest of the day we can focus on everything else and each other," Amanda said.

How to keep it fun: "We both have our own hobbies that include everything sports for me and Amanda loves any and all crafts," Andrew said. "Together, we love going to thrift stores and going on trips."

Meet Amy and Nathan Schlegel, married for three years  

Roles at WellSpan: Amy is a nursing assistant/unit secretary and nursing student; Nathan works as a  facilities technician, both based at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital

How they met: High school sweethearts (and recently celebrated 10 years together)

Family: Two golden retrievers: Melody, age 6, and Harmony, age 1

When they came to WellSpan: Amy joined WellSpan in 2016 and Nate joined in 2019.

"I chose to work here because I was starting nursing school and I was looking to get my foot in the door in healthcare, and the ER was the perfect place for that," Amy said and added that she attends school through WellSpan's educational assistance program and plans to graduate from Harrisburg Area Community College next year.

"Nate said he liked the prospect of working in a hospital where his wife was already working and working on such a large-scale HVAC system," she added. "We both have loved working in the hospital setting ever since. WellSpan has become a family to us."

Advantages of working for the same company: "Even though we both work full time, we still get to see each other in passing," Amy said. "Also, Nate brings me snacks and drinks to make sure that I eat throughout the day when the Emergency Department is busy and I may not have time to run and get something."

Shop talk: "We enjoy talking about our workday, but we usually leave the shop talk at work," Amy said.

How to keep it fun: "We love to travel and we take our golden girls with us everywhere we go," Amy said. During their free time, Amy, Nate, and their girls can often be found shopping at Lowe's.

"The cashiers usually have treats for dogs too, so the girls love going there," she added.

Meet Jodi and Daren Myers, married for 30 years

Roles at WellSpan: Jodi works remotely as a workforce specialist, Patient Access; Daren is a manager, Biomedical Engineering, WellSpan Ephrata and Good Samaritan hospitals

How they met: High school sweethearts

Family: Three sons: Alex, age 29, Colin, age 26, and Drew, age 23; one daughter: Ellie, age 17

When they came to WellSpan: Jodi started working at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital in 1990 in data processing. Jodi encouraged Daren to apply for a BioMed internship in 1991 and he joined WellSpan in 1992 as an employee.

Advantages of working for the same company: In the early years, they saved money by carpooling. These days, Jodi works remotely, while Daren is regional, traveling between WellSpan Ephrata and Good Samaritan hospitals.

Shop talk: "For the most part, we leave our shop talk at work," Jodi said. "We established that our work talk zone is the first 10 minutes of our daily walk."

How to keep it fun: "We both love Disney World's Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom," Jodi said. "We enjoy walking 2.5 miles almost every day and take occasional trips to Fox Meadows for ice cream."