Celebrating Our September Employees of the Month

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

“Carol is such a positive person to work with. She is always thinking of and suggesting ideas to place and transfer our patients and communicates them well. She enjoys getting to know our key teammates we work with at the campuses. Since our work is all over the phone, she always expresses herself cheerfully and always stays polite and articulate. She frequently will trade shifts with co-workers at their request and will offer to come in when we are short staffed. She is known as our NOCC chef, always bringing in tasty treats for everyone. She excels in any assignment and everyone enjoys her presence! Carol loves to explore new functions in our systems and share what tricks she has learned with the team. She enjoys mentoring new staff and really sees everyone as a whole person. She goes above and beyond to learn about her co-workers, about their lives, hobbies, and families. She takes part in Unit Council and keeps the team calm and running smooth in times of stress. Everyone loves Carol!”

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

“I would like to recognize Stacy for a heartwarming display of compassion shown to a guest at Hamilton.  On my route I ran into an elderly gentleman going into the 1010 entrance by the O/P Pharmacy as I was leaving. We exchanged a pleasant good morning and went on our way.  As I continued my route at the hospital, I stopped in the cafeteria for lunch and ran into Stacy from the O/P Pharmacy.  She was with the elderly gentleman I had crossed paths with upstairs a short while ago, assisting him in a wheelchair helping him select something for lunch.  I watched them as she took the time to explain what was available showing the different options. After he had made his selections Stacy had them bagged and was leaving the cafe heading out the door. Seeing she had her hands full, I offered to carry the bag so she could push the wheelchair.  I asked her where we were headed, and she was taking him to the cancer center.  I felt sorry for the man only to find out he was going up there to wait for his 21-year-old son who was being treated for liver cancer.  When we arrived, Stacy took the time to set out the meal for the gentleman as he had a bad shaking condition.  He thanked her and even offered some of his food which she told him to keep for later.  We thanked him as he was a Vietnam veteran. Only after she was sure he was comfortably seated and had everything in reach did she tell him goodbye. Being curious I asked Stacy how it came about taking him to the cafe.  She had run into him in the hallway and asked where the cafe was and when Stacy explained where it was, he said, ‘That’s ok I’ll just go back.’ Stacy grabbed a wheelchair by the front door and took care of it from there.  What I witnessed that day warmed my heart as she treated the guest like a family member.  It brought to mind the passage in the Bible where Jesus said, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me, Matthew 25:40.  That was wonderful thing to witness and made my day and certainly the older gentleman’s day a lot brighter!”

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

“Amanda is always willing to help others. She goes above and beyond to assist others at nighttime when caring for a bereaved patient. Just last week, she assisted in an emergency in which the Massive Transfusion Protocol was initiated. She became the designated runner, running to the lab or getting whatever was called for in the OR at the time. She even stayed over to see if I needed anything else. She is always willing to make schedule changes and be flexible to better suit the needs of our unit. Amanda is a wonderful asset to our Maternity team. She continues to show strength and improvement daily. I cannot emphasize enough how lucky we are to have her as a part of team.”

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

“Lacey is very diligent and conscientious with all her patients. She usually cares for post op orthopedic patients and it is a routine stay that she prepares them for a successful transition to home. She had an older adult patient this week that caught her attention. She started to notice very subtle changes in her patient’s motor functions. She reported these immediately and practitioner felt it was highly likely they were related to anesthesia, age, and unfamiliar environment. Lacey continued to assess and report her concerns. The physician, respecting her diligence, ordered testing. The CT was preformed stat and showed a brain bleed. The EKG then showed atrial flutter. In hindsight, if the atrial flutter had been recognized and treated without noticing the neuro changes, she would have likely received some type of anticoagulation for her arrhythmia and may have had a drastically different outcome. Lacey is not only an awesome clinical RN, but she also has a contagious smile and laughter. Her passion for caring for her patients is inspiring. Lacey’s caring, fun, and encouraging demeanor is contagious to all those she works with whether a patient or staff member. I receive countless Daisy award nominations each week from the patients she cares for.”

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

“Diane has been and is a wonderful help to the college in so many ways. Recently, she went beyond her regular duties to help me with graduation and pinning for nursing. With the pinning ceremony, she worked closely with nursing to make all the arrangements for the venue be perfect. When practices were colliding and technical difficulties occurred, she was there to fix the problems. At graduation, she helped me with all the arrangements for my presenting the Nelson award. Without this, I would not have known what to say or do. Graduation is so easy with Diane, as none of administration has to worry about anything but just showing up. This allows us to be able to interact freely with families and graduates, not having to be concerned with the ceremony. Many arrangements are last minute, and Diane handles this behind the scenes. This was the case in July when many items had to be changed at the last minute. Thank you, Diane, for all you do.”

Recognized for living out our Kettering Health value of being caring and innovative in his work

“Scottie always goes above and beyond, with the most gentle and compassionate heart and spirit. He shows genuine care and love for his patients. We had a patient bring their mother with Alzheimer’s to the appointment. The mother was insistent on staying in the lobby while her daughter was seen. After a few minutes, the mother began to wander, complain that she was cold and scared, wanting to go back to the car, and was visibly upset. Multiple staff members attempted to help her, but it wasn’t until Scott went and talked to her that she agreed to come back in the back with us. Scott took her to his office and turned on a small heater to keep her warm, offered her blankets, talked to her, and kept her busy and calm so her daughter could be seen and keep her appointment. He is absolutely a wonderful blessing.  Scott is a wonderful Christian man, often blessing us with his beautiful singing voice, moving devotionals, and offering to pray with us. His work as a care navigator with the patients is extraordinary. He always goes above and beyond the call of duty to assist not only the patients but the residents and staff.”

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

“Liz strives to provide the best care to her patients! She acknowledges everyone in the room, including family, and involves them in the plan of care. She doesn’t just look at the tasks to be completed but also works to develop a great relationship with her patients and families. We recently had an ED hold of an elderly woman who was apprehensive of the environment because she couldn’t hear well. Liz acknowledged this and took the time to adapt to the patient’s needs. The patient became much more relaxed and was able to have a great conversation with Liz. Liz took the time to ensure the patient had breakfast in the morning and took the time to administer her medications based on her needs and being patient with her. Liz spent at least 20 minutes in the patient’s room helping feed her and offering her fluids. Patient stated that’s the most she had eaten due to having help. Liz works to help her other team members out daily. She has an optimistic attitude even when things are tough. She reaches out to provide words of encouragement to her team when they are going through a difficult time. Liz is one of those nurses who pays attention to the details and I would be honored to have her care for myself or my family!”

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

“Tristen is by far one of the kindest, most caring nurses I know. From the minute I met her I knew she was a nurse “for the right reasons”. Tristen is a hard worker and always willing to help her team. Tristen is an amazing advocate for patients and their families and always looking for a way to make their visit better. I recently had the chance to work with Tristen while she was “in charge” and she was an amazing leader. Not only did she work hard to make sure all her tasks were completed, but she also made sure her team was taken care of too. She always put the needs of her team, patients, and their families first. Personally, I can say that Tristen’s positive attitude, kindness, compassion, and hard work is a true reflection of herself. I look up to Tristen as a nurse because she is always willing to help whether it is with tasks, patient care or even in teaching moments. Tristen puts compassion, heart, and her full self into her nursing career, and it does not go unnoticed.”

Recognized for living out our Kettering Health value of being trustworthy and competent in her work

“Shannon is such a great patient advocate.  We recently received a thank-you note from one of our physicians who stated, ‘We won a peer to peer with an insurance company based upon therapy notes. The insurance company was not convinced the patient really had any new deficits and they probably did not need to be admitted. Shannon had a great note about functional status. I read the note and then suddenly it was approved with insurance. Thanks Shannon.’ Way to Go Shannon. And Thanks to Dr. Merryman for “shouting out” this great performance.

Sometimes it’s hard to prove to the insurance company that a procedure or service is medically necessary or that it’s a new medical problem that warrants additional services. But because of the excellent work that Shannon does with all her documentation the needed information was readily available. Nobody had to go in and “amend” or document anything “extra” to help the insurance company understand. It was already just there! Consistent, excellent note-writing is going above and beyond to make sure that it’s right for every patient, every time, and for every situation. Shannon is very thorough and knowledgeable, but it’s her consistent dedication to excellence that stands out in my opinion. She is a great advocate for our patients and for our profession. And we’re so lucky to have her. Shannon is a strong team player and great patient advocate. She has led our student program here at Soin and has been a mentor for students and peers.  Her diligence and competence helped “win” an insurance approval, ensuring that the patient received the best care. Thanks for going above and beyond each day!”

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

“Lynda goes above and beyond every day! Today I had an elderly dementia outpatient leave his glasses behind.  When we looked up his information, Lynda said she knew exactly where he lived in Vandalia and is going out of her way to drop them off to him after work today! We contacted the daughter and made sure he would know she was dropping them off to him. Lynda goes above and beyond every single day! She is always helpful with anything we need.  In this case, dropping off the glasses to an elderly patient in Vandalia shows how much she cares for our patients and is willing to do what it takes to get the job done.”

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

“Tammy works nights in registration for Kettering Health Troy. She is truly an asset to registration and to our ED team. I have worked with her for years and she is always working extra to help her team and offering to come in last minute or stay late or work extra holidays. When Tammy is working in registration, our nurses always have someone reliable to depend on, and to have a good talk or laugh with. She is professional, personable, and is such a great team player. Any time a nurse needs to run to the back and help in our small ED, she helps greet patients and reassure them. In the years I have worked with her, I have gained so much trust and respect for her as she shows time and time again that she is brave and kind and proficient at caring for an entire waiting room of people. I have worked with Tammy on multiple occasions where she has covered the money for a patient’s taxi fare or called around to find patient’s a ride home after being discharged. She goes out of her way to find resources and rides for patients even though this is not part of her responsibility to do so. She embodies the Kettering Health mission of being your best and truly caring for everyone who walks through our doors. She is so compassionate and kind, and we are lucky to work with you! Thanks Tammy!”