Pam Willard is a well-traveled community health advocate who has made a significant impact on communities across multiple states, including Iowa. Her dedication to health and wellness has extended beyond state lines, leading her to work in Slovakia as part of her career. Pam has worked with diverse populations, from helping new mothers immunize their children on the California coast to assisting with research in Iowa aimed at improving communities and the lives of older adults. With a background in nursing and public health, Pam has had a diverse career, and she remains hopeful about the future as new generations step up. As an Eight Over 80 award recipient, Pam has showcased her enthusiasm and Hawkeye spirit in her work in nursing and public health.
Her Career as a Nurse
Willard says she has always wanted to be a nurse. Ever since she was little, Pam remembers her mother’s friends who were nurses. After transferring from Butler University to Cornell University-New York Hospital School of Nursing to obtain her degree, she began living that dream. According to Willard, New York City was a living community and public health laboratory. “I was hooked on the possibility of improving the health and well-being of at-risk children, their parents, and older folks,” she says.
After graduating, Pam never worked in a hospital. “My focus was always community health. I’m a real public health junkie, with optimism that our nursing-related interventions can improve the lives of others,” Willard says.
She worked in public health agencies and departments across the country before making her way to the Hawkeye State. For example, in California, Pam visited new mothers in their homes to help them care for their babies and ensure they were immunized. “I would drive over a beautiful mountain down to the bay and convince the people living on the beach or in trailers that their kids needed to be immunized,” she recalls. Well-baby clinics helped with this cause, and they ended up being successful in getting many children the immunizations and health screenings they needed.
Mental health was also an important discussion during this time for Pam and her colleagues. Willard spoke about how this was the time when President Kennedy aimed to reduce the number of people in mental institutions. “The good news is people got out of the mental institutions; the bad news is there was never the money to support needed services for them,” Willard says.
The Move to Iowa
Originally from Connecticut, Pam Willard did not plan on Iowa being her forever home. That changed when her husband decided to pursue his Ph.D., and the University of Iowa’s program checked all the boxes. Now, over 50 years later, Pam and her husband still call Iowa City home. Before that, she lived in New York, Indiana, Northern California, and Colorado. “We thought we could live in Iowa City for three years, but like other people we know, we found a home here,” Willard says.
Pam’s Work at Iowa
Pam Willard has a long-standing connection to the University of Iowa, dating back to 1972. After receiving her Master of Science in Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health at Iowa in the late ’70s, she worked for the Health Services Research Center as a research assistant for three years. Willard was involved with major aging research projects that took place through a partnership between Harvard, Yale, and the University of Iowa, which was noted for its connection to rural communities. In this study, the researchers focused on aging and rural areas like Kalona and Washington County. “This research is likely the predecessor of our aging studies, programs, and centers like the Csomay Center,” Willard says.
Fun fact: Pam Willard’s old office is on the fourth floor, room 436, where Boeun Kim now works.
Pam was also involved in research out of Davenport during the ’90s. This research focused on racial minority older adults in the area, helping them stay in their homes and out of nursing homes. Pam and others would visit residents to check on them and see what resources they needed. “It turns out most African American families would take care of their older adults to keep them out of nursing homes,” Willard says.
After completing this research, Pam traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with people from the Administration on Aging, which had granted her team the funding for the Davenport research. “I cannot tell you the astonishment of the woman I was reporting to when I told her that I had done foot care for a client,” Willard says. Pam would clean and cut someone’s toenails. She discovered that the people who funded the research did not expect them to provide direct care for the patients. “These are day-to-day things that can be exhausting for the caregiver,” Pam says.
When it comes to the research Pam is involved in, she believes there are important elements people need to understand. “I wish more people understood the importance of community and community support systems that can improve the lives of everybody,” she says.
Fun fact: Pam also worked for 10 years at the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa after taking early retirement in 2004 from the College of Nursing.
International Work
During her career, Pam also worked in Slovakia from 1997 to the early 2000s, after the fall of the Soviet Union. She found that some countries with fewer resources compared to the United States made the most of what they had. She and her colleagues in nursing and public health had a grant through the University of Iowa to help improve healthcare services consistent with the political changes that had taken place. Pam encountered challenges in the communities she worked in, often speaking to higher authorities about best practices for the local residents.
Dr. Anna Kriskova, a Doctor of Nursing Science from the Slovak Republic, was one of Pam’s frequent overseas collaborators. Dr. Kriskova worked on a publication in cooperation with the Institute of Rural and Environmental Health at the College of Nursing and Public Health at the University of Iowa. Dr. Kriskova worked on two books; her first textbook, Nursing Techniques, focused on standardized nursing techniques. The book was written based on experiences gained from working with international nursing organizations. Willard states, “The major barrier is the lack of textbooks written in the native languages that convey global techniques and practices.”
Pam’s Advice to Others
Willard describes herself as an optimistic person. She believes it is important to focus more on the positive aspects of life because the negative won’t last forever. Taking things one step at a time is how Pam has lived her life. “I have constant hope to make the world a better place,” she says.
When asked for advice for someone stepping into a caregiving role, Pam emphasizes the importance of self-care. “You have to carve out time to be who you are; otherwise, you can’t possibly do it all,” she says. While Pam was never a caregiver for older adults, she has strived to be the best version of herself for the kids she cared for in her nursing days and for her grandchildren.
What Pam Does to Age Optimally
One of the ways Pam lives her best life is by spending time with her three children and her grandchildren. She has eight, ranging in age from 10 to 25. Six of her grandchildren live in Iowa City while the oldest two live in California. “They give me joy in the unbrokenness of life. Watching grandchildren develop is the best,” she says.
Pam believes it is important to be active across many areas—physical, functional, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual. She stays physically active by attending exercise classes twice a week. To keep her mind sharp, Pam is involved with organizations to remain engaged with her community. She also has lunch with friends a couple of times a week to stay social. “This is what keeps me going day-to-day,” Willard says.
For those who may not know, Pam has had a rare blood disease called amyloidosis for the last 17 years, which she has managed over time and is still able to do things she loves, like traveling with her husband, seeing her grandkids, or getting lunch with friends. “I am aging as optimally as I can; I am not disappointed with anything,” Willard says.
Pam’s Inspiration
When it comes to what inspires her, Pam says it is the creativity she sees in younger generations today. She finds that students and teachers are trying new ways to impart learning and solve problems. There is a program at City High in Iowa City, where Pam’s granddaughter attends, where students can volunteer to be matched with their classmates and peers who have disabilities. Willard is hopeful for the future with the younger generations coming up. “I’m tired of hearing about the lost generation and how terrible young people are. With what schools are doing and what kids are doing, I’m just so impressed,” she says.
Pam Willard’s journey through life with her family and career is a great example of the Hawkeye spirit. Through her dedication, compassion, and commitment to improving community well-being, Pam has left her mark on many communities. Her ability to adapt, her optimism despite personal challenges, and her role as a grandmother reflect a life lived with purpose and heart. As she looks to the future, her hope in the potential of new generations and her belief in a better world remain powerful testaments to a life of remarkable impact and inspiration.