In Memory of Elizabeth Koop

The VHC Medical Brigade mourns the loss of Elizabeth Koop, MS, CRNA, known to all as Betsy.  She was one of the original volunteers in the Brigade and a founding member of the Rural Village Project (RVP), which has provided clinics, clean water and health education to communities in remote areas of Honduras.

In remembering Betsy, we think of descriptors such as compassionate, big hearted, always prepared, a planner, wry sense of humor, super intelligent…the list goes on.  

To her students at Georgetown, she was a mentor, an ethical practitioner and a role model.  MJ Paras recently mentioned Betsy during Nurse Anesthesia Week by writing that whenever she was in a difficult circumstance, she would ask herself, “What would Betsy do?” 

We all loved working with Betsy, whether in the PACU or in the OR.  She was a guardian angel to her patients, watching over and keeping them safe.  She loved taking care of children.  Before every surgical Brigade, Betsy would scour the aisles at her favorite big-box retailer to find the fanciest and dazzling shoes for some lucky little girl undergoing surgery in Honduras.  Betsy would know immediately who the award would go to, and we waited to see her choice.  We loved the anticipation. 

Others got to know her by volunteering with the Brigade’s RVP team.  Betsy’s research and problem-solving skills were grounded in her desire to improve the lives of others. In fact, her study with Wolfgang Rennert, MD about the impact that smoke from wood burning stoves had on women and girls in remote Honduran villages led to the Brigade’s smokeless stove project many years ago. 

Needless to say, Betsy was a “doer,” and whatever she did, she did so well.  

Her life remains an example to us all.  We will miss her and grieve with her family.