Celebrate Our July Employees of the Month

Recognized for living out our Kettering Health values of being competent and caring in his work

“Ken was performing an outpatient EKG that was ordered on a patient. The patient was not having chest pain or really any cardiac symptoms. However, the EKG showed that the patient was having a heart attack. Ken brought the EKG over to the physician to review and then proceeded to bring the patient over.  Because of this, our physician was able to call the cardiac alert before the patient arrived at the department. Because this patient was not having symptoms, I personally don’t believe he would have presented to our Emergency Department without this occurrence. Ken’s quick reaction helped to save a patient’s life!”

Recognized for living out our Kettering Health values of being collaborative and trustworthy in his work

“He personifies teamwork and faith in action. He was called at home as the Omnicell cabinet was not working. He unlocked the cabinet and manually dispensed medications for the patients as needed for more than two hours until it could be repaired. On another occasion a patient needed a fentanyl drip which was not stocked at the Springfield Emergency Department. Tim was called at home and went there to compound one for the patient. He was covering the overnight shift at Soin and delivered medications every morning of the six-day stretch (10-hour shifts) to restock the Omnicell. He went there on a day off to move medications around and adjust quantities to lessen the impact of stock outs. He has gone above and beyond to make sure the patients at the Springfield Emergency Department and the community he lives in are supported. Tim has also volunteered to restock medications on Memorial Day. Tim will do anything he can to help meet a patient’s needs or help a coworker. He is generous and giving in every encounter.”

Recognized for living out our Kettering Health values of being competent and collaborative in her work

“Emily has a true passion for her work. She is an excellent occupational therapist, who is continually willing to learn and grow, but above that, cares for others and gives of herself more than what can be described in words. Last week, I heard people running outside of my office…fast! Next thing I know, a young patient is running by followed by 3 staff members calling after her. One of them was Emily. The patient stopped at the end of the hallway, sinking to the floor, anxious as she believed she was being chased and was hallucinating. Emily was calm, reassuring, offered her a chair, and offered her several solutions to ease her anxious state. When I checked in on Emily later that day, I asked if that was her patient. It wasn’t! She shared, “I was next door finishing up an evaluation and I could hear her. I know staff had been having a hard time trying to manage so I went over to offer some help.” Two days after that event, Emily floated to cover Kettering Health Behavioral Medical Center. At the end of the day, the coordinator sent a message my way stating, “I don’t think a Shooting Star is enough but thanks again for sending Emily today. She may have saved a life. She was working with a patient who was feeling nauseous which was being dismissed. Emily did a 70 min ADL with her and she found two large open wounds that were draining! Emily notified the charge nurse and the physicians sent her to the emergency department for medical treatment. She rocked it today!” This is another example of Emily’s kind, thorough, and holistic care of patients. She does this every day and likely far more than I even know of.”

Recognized for living out our Kettering Health values of being collaborative in his work

“Devin embodies our value of collaboration by going above and beyond to help out his coworkers. Recently, a coworker had a flat tire and had been waiting on roadside assistance for over two hours. He went out into the parking lot and helped her change her tire to the spare. Additionally, he will step up to do any job necessary to take care of the patient. He doesn’t see ‘technician jobs’ vs ‘pharmacist jobs.’ He is always willing to help were needed. When we had a technician back from surgery, he went out of his way to do any heavy lifting for her such as dialysate bags. He keeps morale high in the pharmacy with his positive attitude. He picks up many extra hours and helps cover times of short staffing. He helps organize things such as food carry-ins which also help our team building and morale. Per another coworker, ‘Devin is always doing what it takes to lift up everyone around him. Brings the laughs and extra effort every day.'” 

Recognized for living out our Kettering Health values of being trustworthy and competent in his work

“Stuart is dependable, hard-working, and thorough when completing his pharmacy technician duties every day. He is a jack of all trades. He can fix Omni machines, triage nursing problems and questions, solve narcotic discrepancies, and help alleviate tube shortages in the pharmacy. He also makes my job as a pharmacist exponentially easier. I know that when Stuart says he will ‘handle it,’ that thing will get done quickly and correctly. He works tirelessly day after day providing for our nurses and our patients.  I couldn’t do my job in the evenings without him. He’s a fantastic employee. He lives the Kettering values everyday here on the job. He is extremely important to 2nd shift at the hospital and is a huge reason why we can provide excellent patient care every evening.  Patients get medications quicker and more efficiently every evening because of Stuart.”

Recognized for living out our Kettering Health values of being collaborative in her work

“Courtney takes charge and makes sure that everything is taken care of in the ultrasound department at Troy. She consistently jumps in and does what needs to be done to ensure smooth operation of the department. Her flexibility and positive attitude are a bonus. She regularly tells staff that she appreciates them and thanks people for what they do. It is hard to pinpoint one specific incident because she does this all the time. When there are vacant shifts, she jumps in to fill them or takes responsibility for finding coverage.  She is flexible, reliable, and has a strong work ethic. Kettering Health is lucky to have her.”

Recognized for living out our Kettering Health values of being collaborative and caring in her work

“Every shift Anika arrives with a positive attitude that is contagious to the rest of the staff. I have had multiple patients express to me how much they appreciate Anika’s care. Recently I worked a shift with Anika where I had a critical patient, and there was a lot to get done when they first arrived. Anika came in and assisted me with gathering all the lab work, vitals, and EKG. She did not leave the room until everything was done, and patient was more stable. She consistently offers her help in these situations. Anika brings an automatic calm feeling to the department. She is always helping her coworkers which helps to decrease their stress. She is great at diffusing frustrations of patients or their family members. The patients love her and always feel as though they are well taken care of because she is so compassionate and caring.”

Recognized for living out our Kettering Health values of being competent and caring in her work

“Kacee is daily going above and beyond for our patients. Recently, we had a patient whose insurance has a high co-pay for their oncology medications. They had been cancelling appointments and delaying treatment due to the cost. Kacee did not give up, and because of her true dedication to our patients, the team was able to help the patient and get them treated for an affordable cost. Her work did not stop there. Kacee immediately started working on getting his prior visit claims reversed and ease the financial burden this had placed on the patient. After several days and coordination with billing and IS, everything was resolved. This is just one example of the wonderful work that Kacee does. She makes the work environment incredibly positive and is always willing to jump in and help or learn something new. She is an invaluable part of our team. Kacee going above and beyond for our patients every day truly makes such a difference in these patient’s lives.”

Recognized for living out our Kettering Health value of being caring in her work

“In her role as a Patient Educator, she is so kind with our patients, most of whom have newly diagnosed cancer and are so scared. She is gentle and kind with them, often spending hours with them in person or on the phone to ensure they have all of their questions answered. Robin recently met with a patient to go over surgery instructions, and specifically the bowel prep required. The patient seemed concerned, and when Robin asked further, it turned out that the patient was unable to afford the medications and drinks needed for the bowel prep. Robin asked the patient to wait, went across to the pharmacy and cafeteria in Kettering Health Main Campus, purchased all the items herself with her own funds, and brought them back to the patient. She then labeled the items, so the patient knew exactly when to take them. Robin approaches every day with a can-do attitude and is cheerful and positive at all times.”

Recognized for living out our Kettering Health value of being caring in her work

“Felicia is always going above and beyond for our patients, but this time is well worth mentioning and rewarded. A patient been here for over a month. In May, the patient’s daughter graduated from college. Because he was unable to attend the live graduation, Felicia wanted to do something special to help him be involved in the celebration. His daughter was coming to visit after the graduation, so Felicia went out and bought graduation decorations with her own money. She then decorated the patient’s room for when she arrived. A nurse was able to take pictures of the patient and his wife with their daughter in her cap and gown and all the graduation props and decorations. This caring and selfless act of kindness had major positive impact for the patient and his family as they felt cared for and special.”