A Legacy of Care

Harmony Hines, bsn ’87, dedicated her life to providing compassionate care to those most in need of support. During her time as a student at Washburn’s School of Nursing and throughout her career, Hines sought ways to make a measurable difference for a wide range of patients. Her legacy of professional excellence and empathy is now permanently celebrated by Washburn, where the Harmony J. Hines School of Nursing has been proudly named in her honor following a historic contribution made by her sister, Ronda Brenneman, b ed ’84, and brother-in-law, Greg Brenneman, bba ’84, h ’99. Hines’ legacy is one of tireless advocacy for mental health, hospice and palliative care, and her work left an indelible mark on her community, colleagues and patients.

Born in Columbia, Missouri, in 1963, Hines moved to Topeka with her family in 1967. Her choice to attend Washburn University seemed predestined, as a remarkable 25 members of her family have attended Washburn throughout the years. During her time as a student, she began her nursing career at Menninger’s Adult Transitional Living House providing both transitional and long-term care and support services to adults with mental illness. According to Ronda, Hines represented the very best of Washburn.

“Throughout her nursing career, Harmony displayed professional knowledge and confidence,” Brenneman said. “She showed care, empathy and concern, and she had the ability to work with all levels of care givers, from the custodians to the physicians.”

Following graduation, Hines played an instrumental role in the launch of a pediatric psychiatry program at Topeka’s Memorial Hospital. Following her time at Memorial, she returned to Menninger’s, where she spent 13 years serving as a staff nurse for male teens.

Brenneman recalled a conversation with her sister in which she asked how she managed to work with such a challenging demographic day in and day out, to which Harmony responded, “I know that inside each one of those individuals is somebody that is operating in a very different way, and we give them the tools they need to function better in the world.”

In many ways, that very approach to providing her patients with the tools they needed to thrive was one of the strongest components of Hines’ legacy. She went on to play a key role in establishing the Care and Coordination program at Menninger’s, providing a holistic approach to mental health care by integrating medical, psychological and social support services to treat the whole person, not just the diagnosis.

Following the closure of Menninger’s in Topeka, Hines began a nearly two-decade tenure at Midland Care Connection, serving as vice president of quality and compliance. She became a nationally recognized expert and speaker in hospice and palliative care, sharing her knowledge and helping to expand the organization’s reach, and she was instrumental in bringing the National PACE Association (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) funding and program to Topeka and the broader Northeast Kansas region, expanding medical and social care services for the elderly.

In 2018, Harmony’s life was tragically cut short following an aggressive cancer diagnosis. Ronda says her sister faced her illness with the same dignity and grace she gave to others, and her impact on healthcare and the community was profound.

“Greg and I wanted to recognize her as one of the finest of Washburn University, and are excited for the newly named nursing program in her honor.”