WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (WSAW) – On the best of days, nobody likes going to the hospital.
“I love it here,” said Chuck Lamb.
Unless your job is to ease the stress for patients walking through the front door.
“If you don’t like people there are other jobs,” laughed Lonn Radtke.
Lonn has been a front desk greeter escort for Aspirus Riverview Hospital in Wisconsin Rapids for 4.5 years.
“Dealing with the different situations and we’re just trying to understand people, it’s really tough that way.”
“I don’t think there is anyone who doesn’t know who Lonn is that walks in our front door. He’s really a big personality,” said Katie Schneider, Patient Experience Supervisor.
A few miles away at Aspirus Clinic, Chuck has played the same role for nearly two years now.
“It definitely helps to be extroverted,” he said with a big smile. “Some people have joked that the trick is getting me to be quiet.”
Both are exactly where they’re meant to be.
“Yes, without a doubt,” said Chuck.
“Sitting at home wasn’t an option,” Lonn added.
They’re built for this type of job as retired police officers.
“Being versified in a lot of different situations,” Lonn said about his experience.
For 32 years, Lonn worked for the Port Edwards Police Department full-time before retiring in 2020. He’d worked with Nekoosa for 35 years part-time until he gave that up at the start of this year.
“I enjoyed the job and I enjoyed being out with the people and enjoyed what I did. When I retired I still want to do that and give back.”
Chuck spent nearly 14 years with the Town of Rome before spending his last 15 years with Port Edwards, retiring in March of 2020. His years on the force prepared him for this line of duty.
“The people that come in, they’re capable,” he said. “However, you want to give them that little bit of distance. You don’t want to add to any misery that they’re feeling at the time.”
“Dealing with just a wide variety of people that are in challenging situations is almost a natural fit for working in a hospital,” said Schneider.
If you’re wondering, yes they’ve come across people who they met previously.
“Seeing people that come in they say, ‘Oh, you stopped me one time.’ Fortunately, most of it’s been ‘but you gave me a warning,’” said Chuck.
“Everybody that I’ve always dealt with either in a positive way in law enforcement or a negative way, outside they’ve always been cordial and decent,” Lonn added.
Cordial and decent. Guilty as charged. Not just because it’s their job, but who they are.
Chuck and Lonn worked opposite shifts at the police department. It was just a coincidence they both ended up working for Aspirus.
Lonn said he’ll still do some work for the Wood County Sheriff’s Department at times, whether it be security at the courthouse or once in a while transporting people for them.
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