A public health nurse, she worked with the Milwaukee Health Department and with a
collaborative program called the Wisconsin HIV Primary Care Network.
“She was one of the most compassionate, dedicated nurses I’ve ever worked with,”
said Iram Nadeem, medical director with the network’s program for women. “She
represented women who have very little support in the community.”
Giessel’s clients sometimes had problems with mental health or substance abuse. They might have had housing problems or were homeless. They might have abandoned children or had young children to care for.
“She would do anything that would help a woman,” Nadeem said. “She would make
appointments and come to clinic visits and arrange transportation for them. If they didn’t
make it to the appointment, she would go to their homes.”
“I think she always had a calling to be a nurse,” said her daughter, Stephanie Bloomingdale.
Giessel died on Aug. 8. She was 63.
“She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last August,” her daughter said, adding that the doctor’s best guess was that her mother would have perhaps four months to live.
“She had always wanted to go to Australia and —10 days after her diagnosis — she and I were on a plane for Australia,” Bloomingdale said.
Giessel was born Barbara Kimmel in New York’s Queens, moving with her family to Milwaukee when she was 5. She graduated from Custer High School and went to Milwaukee Area Technical College to become a licensed practical nurse.
The next decades were full of change, but nursing remained a constant.
“She met my father and had children,” Bloomingdale said. The family moved to rural Dodge County, and she worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital in West Bend.
By the 1980s, the couple divorced.
“She went to school to become a registered nurse,” her daughter said. “She worked full time nights while she went to school during the day, to support the family.”
She later graduated from Carroll College with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, ready to pursue her dream job of becoming a public health nurse.
She began working for the Milwaukee Health Department. About 10 years ago, she joined a new program to serve women with HIV and AIDS, part of the Wisconsin HIV Primary Care Network. The network is a collaborative effort
by the Medical College of Wisconsin, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and the Health Department.
“She was the first public health nurse for the program,” Nadeem said. “Her caseload of 25 to 30 women
was the most difficult in the whole program.”
“She was very intuitive,” said her daughter. “She had a good sense of people and what people needed at a given moment. She had a lot of strength. She was a strong, compassionate mother and nurse and a member of the community.”
In addition to her daughter, survivors include son James Bloomingdale, sister Leslie Rauch and
grandchildren.
A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. today at Hubbard Park Lodge, 3565 N. Morris Blvd., Shorewood
Lexi Quindel (Westphal)
Barbara Kimmel Bloomingdale Giessel was a wonderful friend in High School and became an
amazing woman during her life time. May she rest in peace forever.. Lexi Quindel-Westphal
August 15 2008
Public health nurse Giessel was tireless
helper to women with HIV
Barbara Giessel believed in doing whatever she could to help women with HIV and AIDS take care of themselves and their health.
A public health nurse, she worked with the Milwaukee Health Department and with a
collaborative program called the Wisconsin HIV Primary Care Network.
“She was one of the most compassionate, dedicated nurses I’ve ever worked with,”
said Iram Nadeem, medical director with the network’s program for women. “She
represented women who have very little support in the community.”
Giessel’s clients sometimes had problems with mental health or substance abuse. They might have had housing problems or were homeless. They might have abandoned children or had young children to care for.
“She would do anything that would help a woman,” Nadeem said. “She would make
appointments and come to clinic visits and arrange transportation for them. If they didn’t
make it to the appointment, she would go to their homes.”
“I think she always had a calling to be a nurse,” said her daughter, Stephanie Bloomingdale.
Giessel died on Aug. 8. She was 63.
“She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last August,” her daughter said, adding that the doctor’s best guess was that her mother would have perhaps four months to live.
“She had always wanted to go to Australia and —10 days after her diagnosis — she and I were on a plane for Australia,” Bloomingdale said.
Giessel was born Barbara Kimmel in New York’s Queens, moving with her family to Milwaukee when she was 5. She graduated from Custer High School and went to Milwaukee Area Technical College to become a licensedpractical nurse .
The next decades were full of change, but nursing remained a constant.
“She met my father and had children,” Bloomingdale said. The family moved to rural Dodge County, and she worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital in West Bend.
By the 1980s, the couple divorced.
“She went to school tobecome a registered nurse ,” her daughter said. “She worked full time nights while she went to school during the day, to support the family.”
She later graduated from Carroll College with a bachelor’sdegree in nursing , ready to pursue her dream job of becoming a public health nurse.
She began working for the Milwaukee Health Department. About 10 years ago, she joined a new program to serve women with HIV and AIDS, part of the Wisconsin HIV Primary Care Network. The network is a collaborative effort
by the Medical College of Wisconsin, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and the Health Department.
“She was the first public health nurse for the program,” Nadeem said. “Her caseload of 25 to 30 women
was the most difficult in the whole program.”
“She was very intuitive,” said her daughter. “She had a good sense of people and what people needed at a given moment. She had a lot of strength. She was a strong, compassionate mother and nurse and a member of the community.”
In addition to her daughter, survivors include son James Bloomingdale, sister Leslie Rauch and
grandchildren.
A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. today at Hubbard Park Lodge, 3565 N. Morris Blvd., Shorewood