06/05/2026
Meet Beth 💖
“My why is many folded.”
Cancer has touched Beth’s family in many ways. Her mother is a 30-year survivor of DCIS, her sister is a 3-year survivor of Triple Positive Breast Cancer, and she has also lost both a maternal aunt to inflammatory breast cancer and a paternal aunt to pancreatic cancer.
But the reason she is here at West is Larry Keltz.
Larry was Beth’s father-in-law, and she met him when she was just 16 years old. He was a nurse anesthetist with a larger than life personality who spent years caring for patients across Memphis hospitals and teaching others along the way. Larry was known for his humor, his stories, and the way he made people feel seen and comfortable.
After Larry was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he received treatment surrounded by compassionate nurses who made a lasting impact on both him and his family. Even as a patient, he never stopped thinking about others. He would bring his infusion nurses fun bandages like Snoopy, Barbie, and Mickey Mouse and spoke so highly of the care they showed him throughout treatment. He went to every appointment with his band aids, DVD player, and episodes of Antique Roadshow ready to go.
Unfortunately, Larry passed away on November 23, 2015, surrounded by his family. But the impact his nurses made during his journey stayed with Beth long after his passing.
“After losing Larry, I knew I wanted to make that same kind of impact on people’s lives.”
After working as both an ER nurse and Occupational Health nurse, Beth found her way to West. She began as Dr. Portnoy’s Physician Nurse, then moved to Wolf River Infusion, later became Midtown Infusion Lead, and now serves as Infusion Manager.
Beth’s Why 💚
“I am thankful for West for helping me make a difference in people’s lives in a way that would make Larry proud.”
Beth, thank you for sharing your story and for the compassion, care, and heart you bring to patients every single day. Your why is felt in every life you touch.
