Gail Kelley Bids Farewell to Dedham After 21 Years of Service

Last year, Dedham Public Schools bid farewell to one if its finest caregivers.

Gail Kelley worked as the Director of Health Services at Dedham Public Schools for 21 years. A Dedhamite through and through, Kelley has lived in the town since childhood. Before she received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Boston University, the townie attended Riverdale Elementary, Dedham Middle School, and Dedham High School.

Despite the trajectory of her career, the seasoned nurse admits that she was unsure of her calling even after entering the nursing program at BU. She planned to take some diverse courses, explore her options, and choose a new major. Yet, after entering the nursing program, it became clear that health care service was where she belonged. “It was only then that I knew that nursing was the profession for me,” she recalls. Kelley spent seven years at Mass General Hospital, working on a medical floor and a cardiac surgical unit. After that, the nurse moved over to Tufts Hospital where she would work as the Nurse Manager of a Cardiac Unit for thirteen years then in outpatient primary care for the next five.

While at Tufts, Kelley became a part time nurse for DHS. Shortly after, Dedham Public Schools voted to assign one nurse to each elementary school as, prior to this, there was one nurse for Avery and Riverdale and one nurse for Oakdale and Greenlodge. The shared nurses had to travel between the schools throughout the day. Because of this, Oakdale Elementary was in need of a full time nurse and Kelley decided to take on the role. In addition, Dedham received grant funding from the state to enhance health care services in its schools around that time, a requirement of which was to hire a Nurse Leader. “I applied, got the position, and was in that role for about 21 years,” Kelley states.

When asked what the position entailed for Kelley, she explains, “the role of Health Services Director involves: advocating for and supporting the development of a highly skilled school nursing team and collaborating with all other disciplines in the district to advocate for the best possible outcomes for DPS students related to health and wellness”. Additionally, Kelley explains that the role of Health Services Director can change entirely with the priorities of the school year. Her position experienced significant changes during the Covid-19 outbreak. Not only did the pandemic throw a wrench in her retirement plans, but it led her to take on the responsibility of protecting our whole Dedham community.

Among all of this, for Kelley, the most difficult part of the job was balancing the students’ health needs with their educational needs: “Coming from hospital settings where, of course, the priority was always health and entering a school system where, of course, the main priority is education was a challenging balance for me."

Kelley thanks her colleagues and students for keeping her motivated over the years and making all her hard work worthwhile. When asked to recall her favorite memory from her time at DHS, Kelley couldn’t land on just one answer. “Too many!” she said. “I will miss my colleagues and the students the most." As for what she’ll miss the least? “The mandatory reports."

After the impressive career she’s had so far, Kelley decided it was finally time to start checking off her bucket list. She plans on doing more traveling, more family time, and more learning such as adult evening classes or pottery. For now, she’s been enjoying spending more time with her grandsons.

Kelley encourages any aspiring nurses to pursue their interest and find their passion. From hospital trauma to community health, there are boundless settings to care for others. All of which are important. Upon reflecting on her career, Kelley concludes, “To me, the most valuable thing about being a nurse is the privilege and responsibility that comes with providing care and support to someone in need."

"Gail dedicated the second half of her career to the students and families of the Dedham Public Schools as the Director of Health Services," says fellow nurse and former colleague Maria Antonuccio. "She is an incredible human being who carries herself with the utmost grace and professionalism. She has been a staunch advocate for the nurses and has built a strong foundation for the Health Services Department as we move into the future of School Nursing. I am excited for her retirement but miss her deeply!"

Thank you, Nurse Kelley, for 21 years of protecting and caring for our Dedham community!