Kristina Benkeser has had a multi-decade career of “happy accidents.” Her longest adventure of 31 and a half years is coming to a close. As of April 5, Benkeser retired as director of Student Health Services (SHS) at Slippery Rock University.
Before SRU
In the early 1980s, she would have never imagined that she would have a career in nursing. Beginning her college career at Indiana University Bloomington as a math major, she was planning on becoming a calculus teacher.
In 1983, she settled on a nursing major, noting that at this time there was no such thing as being “undeclared.” She was influenced by her sister’s career in the field and decided it would be best until she figured out what she wanted to do long-term.
Graduating from Ball State University’s top-rated nursing program, she was able to get clinical experience that helped decide the trajectory of her nursing career. She spent some time in surgical nursing, rather quickly realizing she enjoys working with patients and having interpersonal connections.
Benkeser continued full-steam ahead with her education, pursuing her nurse practitioner license from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Little did she know, she would find herself in Butler County for the next few decades.
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Benkeser refines passions in Butler
Traveling over 300 miles to a new place is not a small feat. Benkeser, an introvert, was able to confront these new anxieties by relocating to the Butler County U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.), where she was already familiar with one of her coworkers.
During her time with the V.A., Benkeser solidified her passion for advocacy and transparent and comprehensive healthcare. She worked with patients who were dealing with intense discrimination from HIV diagnosis, which led her to become a member of the Butler County AIDS Task Force.
“One of my lifelong passions has always been HIV and HIV care,” she said “But, you have to remember that when we started figuring out HIV was even a thing … It was a horrible, horrible situation for anyone diagnosed.”
Benkeser was happy with the trajectory of her career at this point, both passion and work combining as she continued to be an advocate for people coping with an HIV/AIDs diagnosis. This work continued as she made her way to Slippery Rock University.
Deeply impacted by her work with Claire Schmeiler, director of Student Health Services at the time, Benkeser was convinced to come to Slippery Rock University. Upon her arrival, she immediately fell in love with North Hall, knowing this would be a place she would be happy.
The one hang up? She had little interest in working with young adults, as her average patient at the V.A. was about 93 years old.
“I really didn’t know much about young adults, and was really happy where I was at. [I came to visit SRU] and I thought, ‘well, I’ll do this for a year, get experience with young people and go from there,’” Benkeser said. “The goal was to move back to Indiana where they’re still holding a job for me at one of my clinical sites.”
Legacy at SRU
Her impact at Slippery Rock University goes beyond Student Health Services. Benkeser shared her philosophy, “the nurse will help you,” which means all of the time, no matter the problem.
Benkeser shared a story from decades ago when she had a patient come through and she shared this philosophy with him. She has always wanted every patient to know that she is here no matter what.
The student took her words literally, and as many young men experience, he could not tie a tie for a formal occasion he was rushing to attend. He went and found the nurse who said she will always be there.
As a girl scout, she was able to put her brownie skills to use in this moment. With many laughs, Benkeser shared this story showing that her impact goes beyond the exam room.
Starting as a nurse practitioner on the health services staff in 1992, Benkeser gives a large amount of credit to Schmeiler. Her passions from the V.A. continued as the two set up HIV testing, care and support on campus.
Benkeser and Schmeiler were progressive in their efforts for student healthcare at SRU in the early 90s. Benkeser calls her peer a visionary for the comprehensive healthcare strategies brought to students.
Schmeiler prioritized mental health and well-being, offering a meditation space in the union and creating a wellness committee, which has now become the President’s Commission on Wellness.
Benkeser gives credit to many people throughout her early career at The Rock. There was an impressive team at SHS focusing on interacting with students and providing them with actual needs.
The team made a push for providing more inclusive healthcare, which included access to birth control, pap smears, condoms and other sexual health needs. Along with being a space for discussions about safe sex, SHS became a safe space for the LGBTQ community on campus.
“We kept doing the next logical thing, [asking] ‘what are the needs?’” Benkeser said. “Over the evolution of time, we became a safe space for LGBTQ students because we were accepting, and they knew they could get reliable information.”
“They knew we would in fact help them without judgment. You accept and love people where they are.”
In an era where so many young people struggle to receive their healthcare needs, Benkeser has helped create and continue a health center that is future-focused.
As time went on, mental health conditions were able to be treated with medication, which is also a service that the SHS were quick to provide for students. Throughout the years, mental health cases and treatment increased.
“I think that need continues to increase both in intensity and in number. For emergency situations, we will see them immediately. We never turn them away,” Benkeser said. “We see mental health student [cases] within three days, and I challenge any other medical practice in western Pennsylvania to beat that.”
Benkeser has never stopped rolling on initiatives, plans and programs for Student Health Services. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was here at SRU running some crucial operations behind the scenes.
Shadowing plans from the 2008 swine flu outbreak, Benkeser was quick to act, updating policies and procedures as quickly as she could in alliance with CDC guidelines. The next challenge she faced was how to get students back on campus.
The student union was transformed into a COVID-19 testing center, a project spearheaded by Benkeser. Employees of the health center were placed into the testing center and distributed emergency materials around the community.
SRU donated their own excess supplies from classrooms, as well as many of the 20,000 COVID-19 test kits that were delivered from the health department. Some locations were VOICe in Butler, local fire halls, police stations and hospitals.
“[During the pandemic], I think I worked 119 days in a row. The only reason I remember is because my first day off was Christmas Day.”
Her efforts went beyond managing the COVID-19 testing center. She was also focused on getting on-campus events back into operation. Benkeser humbly credits multiple people across many departments for getting SRU functioning after the pandemic, but she was the legs keeping the operations moving.
“In my time here, I’ve really had the privilege and the pleasure of working with so many wonderful students, and so many dedicated, committed staff,” Benkeser said. “The staff I’ve had the pleasure to supervise have kept me centered, and centered where it matters: with students.”
Her impact goes beyond any programming or initiatives. Decades of students and staff have felt the love and passion from Benkeser, and that love and passion is unwavering as she begins her retirement journey.
Retirement begins
For Kris Benkeser, life is about adventure or the next happy accident, and she continues to follow those as she retires on April 5.
Her first trip will be back to Indianapolis to celebrate her birthday with the people that matter most in her life. As she travels, she hopes to scrapbook, design and create cards.
That is not all, of course. Benkeser will also continue completing accreditation surveys for the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Her passion for healthcare will not end once she leaves her office for the last time.
“I primarily survey and work with college health. If anyone can benefit from my skinned knees and bandages, let’s help them,” Benkeser said. “The accreditation process is very much an educational process. The idea is to help people keep evolving their quality journey.”
Saying goodbye to SRU Student Health Services is not easy, but Benkeser will continue on her life adventure, ready to tackle her next “happy accident.”
