Every year in August, South Africa marks Women’s Month, paying tribute to the 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women.

While women may no longer need to march for their rights, they are still the bedrock of care and strength.

Nowhere is this more clearly seen than in healthcare, and Nurture Health would therefore like to celebrate the contributions of South African women in this field.

A Clinical Leader at Nurture Health South Africa, Melanie Kleinhans, is one of these women.
The Stellenbosch University trained physiotherapist has extensive experience in public and private health.

As one of Nurture Health’s clinical coaches, her primary focus on making the patient’s therapeutic treatment and journeyas efficient and effective as possible.

“What truly motivates me is witnessing our patients' functional progress and minimising the burden of care for their families at home,” says Melanie.

“Seeing a patient find purpose and meaning in life again is incredibly rewarding and reinforces the importance of our work.

“Additionally, seeing our leaders and therapists grow in skill and confidence under my guidance is equally fulfilling.”

Since joining the organisation in 2010 as a junior physiotherapist, Melanie has worked with various diagnoses, with a special interest in stroke recovery.

“As part of the interdisciplinary team at Nurture Health, which consists of nurses, care workers, therapists, administrative support and medical practitioners, we ensure exceptional patient outcomes daily,” she says.

This includes a personalised treatment plan for every patient, informed by scientific models and evidence-based practices.

One of her key contributions to rehabilitation was creating the platforms and processes to manage a patient’s rehabilitation journey as part of the interdisciplinary team.

“This not only leads to patient-centred treatment plans but also to exceptional patient outcomes. Working closely with our teams on the floor to trial, test, and adapt processes and standards to best suit our patient journey has been pivotal to our organisation’s success,” says Melanie.

“In my current role, I strive to inspire and empower our Nurture Health team to engage in and improve standards and processes.

“I’m honoured to be featured in this blog post and look forward to contributing to the recognition of South African women in healthcare.”

Nurture Health salutes its female staff and patients as they work together on the road to holistic physical rehabilitation.