The Employee of the Month Award recognizes the people you love to work with. These winners show exceptional performance as defined by the network’s Standards of Behavior, live out the network’s values, and demonstrate the healing presence practices outlined in Called to Care.
You can read the nomination stories and see the photos of the April Employees of the Month below. Congratulations to all of our recipients!
Pamela Pennington – IS Ambulatory Support, ASB
“While working the employee COVID-19 vaccine clinics, we had a volunteer come in for her vaccine. She was scheduled for hip replacement surgery the following week but had made the very long walk through the hospital and down to where the clinic was being held. She was in terrible pain and out of breath by time she made it to the clinic. Pam went out of her way to get a wheelchair for her after she got her vaccine. Pam took her all the way back through the hospital and into the parking lot to her car and helped her into her car. This is just one example of who Pam is. She always puts others before herself and never bats an eye to help with anything. Pam always puts others before herself. She always goes out of her way to help anyone and everyone with anything. She is one of the most selfless people that I know with such an infectious personality and is always positive with a smile on her face. She is the perfect model of what Kettering Health Network is and represents.”
Alissa Smith – Patient Transport, Fort Hamilton Hospital
“We had a patient that Alissa brought down to our department and he was extremely nervous about his procedure. He was very ill and did not have a very good prognosis. The patient was aware of his prognosis and became tearful when he arrived at the department. He said Alissa had given him a small wooden cross and prayed with him. He said it meant the world to him and that she was his angel. He held onto the cross throughout his procedure and just kept saying how much it meant to him that she would do that for him. The patient was very grateful to Alissa that she would care enough about him to take the time to pray with him and give him that extra attention he really needed in that moment.”
Ryan Shroyer – Nursing Resources, Greene Memorial Hospital
“Buckeye Medics were transporting a discharged adult male patient from Greene Memorial Hospital back to an area nursing home. While in the medic bay and about to take off, without warning the patient became extremely combative. The patient attacked the female medic who was in the back with him, punching her in the stomach then ripping the extinguisher off the wall and spraying it at the medic. Ryan who was in the ED at this time, received notification as to what was happening and without hesitation sprinted to aid the medic placing himself between the patient and her. Ryan’s response to aid the medic was truly remarkable. Had he not intervened, who knows what could have happened. Ryan readily jumps in to help the nursing staff with patient care and will do anything for anyone.”
Benjamin Weber – CT, Grandview Medical Center
“Ben is a team player and is a true asset to work with here at the Beavercreek Health Center. He always puts patient care first, and he continually lends a helping hand in a variety of imaging departments. Today, Ben went above and beyond by helping a woman who was clearly in distress. She was standing outside of our suite crying and Ben opened the door to see what was wrong. She stated that she was supposed to be getting a COVID-19 vaccine, but that she had got lost and her car had got stuck in the snow in the distant parking lot. Ben was so compassionate towards the woman and encouraged her to have a seat so that she could warm up and calm down. He then walked to the vaccine clinic and explained the situation so that the woman would still be able to receive her scheduled vaccine. Ben then walked through the snow, and he was able to dig her car out so she would be able to drive home safely after her appointment. Ben is such a positive person, and he exemplifies what it means to be a true star for Kettering Health Network. His positive attitude, dedicated work ethic, and incredible patient care skills make him an absolute joy to work with. He is the kind of person and employee who makes everyone around him strive to work a little harder and be a little kinder.”
Paula Rankin – Adult Psych, KBMC
“Paula started at KBMC in November when our unit closed. Paula has kept our spirits up by her upbeat personality. She continued to decorate all the KBMC units just like she did for our unit at Grandview. At Christmas, every unit had Paula’s touch and she has done the same for Valentine’s day. Thank you, Paula, for spending your time and money decorating KBMC for every holiday. You make it look so festive. Not only do the patients enjoy it but the staff as well! She treats everyone she meets like family, and she is one of the best nurses I have ever worked with. KBMC is lucky to have Paula.”
Melissa Brooks – OP Neurorehab & Balance C, Kettering Medical Center
“Melissa is the perfect description of an employee you love to work with. Melissa comes in every morning with a smile and a laugh. She greets all her patients with a welcoming attitude. If she has an open slot, she will make herself available to other therapists to assist with their patient or go up to our front office and offer to assist. Our therapy space is very tight, and equipment and space are at a premium. She looks for areas to ‘fix’. We have tape markings all over the gym to measure various tests. As these Velcro tapes start curling off the carpet, she will go around and replace these markers without being asked. She just notices things and takes it upon herself to replace these items. Melissa will routinely clean in the gym reaching the top of the machines, above doors, and more to make sure we stay compliant. For the holidays, she will place a piece of candy in each staff mailbox, just as a little ‘pick me up’. Every year, she bakes a king cake for Fat Tuesday. She has coordinated the March Madness basketball challenge for our team and encourages that friendly competition. We recently had some PVC pipes that needed to be reconnected. She took the pipes home and securely fitted them so they would not fall apart on the patients. These are just a few examples of what Melissa does daily. Melissa makes coming to work a joy. Her upbeat personality and willingness to assist, no matter the chore, makes the clinic run just that much smoother. She is one of our original staff members at NeuroRehab & Balance starting back in January of 2010. You can just tell through her interactions with staff and patients that she loves her job.”
Romayne Baxter-Theodor – Care Management, Kettering Physician Network
“Romayne goes to extraordinary lengths to make sure our patients are taken care of. We had a patient who is blind and has multiple other disabilities, and Romayne made eight to ten calls in a matter of hours to make sure her care was arranged. The patient was having trouble with home healthcare and getting someone to come to her home due to her extensive care needs. She was recently discharged from the hospital and did not have medications prepared for the next day. Romayne did everything she could until she was able to contact home healthcare and get them to the patient the next day, so she didn’t go without care or medications. This is only small part of what Romayne does for our patients, I can’t imagine what she is doing for all her other practices and patients as well! Thank you Romayne for taking such pride in what you do and for the care you give to our patients! Romayne is a true leader and makes my day better by knowing the care she gives my patients.”
Brandie Gray – Human Resources, Prestige
“In early December 2020, Brandie willingly agreed to assist with N-95 fit testing. She had no idea what she was agreeing to at the time. During her time on the project, she has managed through details of data, developing a communication plan, and answering endless questions such as why someone wasn’t included in phase 1. Brandie has collaborated with leaders she typically wouldn’t work with in her day to day role. The Chief Nursing Officer at Kettering Medical Center indicated that Brandie’s kindness and support during the fit testing was demonstrative of our organization’s values and one of the best he has seen in his time here. Her assistance has allowed us to bring organization to the project and allowed others to focus on other pieces of the project. Brandie is competent in the work that she does and managed difficult conversations with executives that left them feeling supported.”
Carie Park Chesser – Cardiac Pulmonary, Sycamore Medical Center
“Carie is a new Respiratory Therapist here at Sycamore. From day one, she has hit the ground running going above and beyond for her patients. One outstanding example of this is recently was when Carie was caring for a patient in ICUE. Due to the current visitor policy, the patient was going to be having a video chat with her family. Carie styled the patients hair so that she could look more like herself when talking with family. This one small act meant a lot to the patient and the ICU nurse who took the time to relay the message! This action not only helped the patient feel more like herself but also helped ease the mind of the family to see their loved one looking so great. Thank you Carie!”
Alaina Rutledge – Pharmacy, Soin Medical Center
“Alaina is an important part of the emergency team at Soin, ensuring that patient’s home medications are accurately and completely obtained. This work is a key driver of patient safety in making sure that patients receive the correct medications when they are admitted to the hospital. In addition, when Alaina was recently talking with a patient about their medications, they asked if their lunch tray would be coming soon. Alaina immediately went out to check the desk and noticed the tray had arrived. She quickly checked with the nurse and then delivered the tray to the patient. While this may seem like a small act, in a busy ED, meal trays can sometimes be overlooked for a period, and from what I am told, this is not the first time that Alaina has served a patient in this way. Alaina’s willingness to listen to a patient’s needs and address them right away is an amazing example of our Kettering mission to our community! We are blessed to have her as part of the team at Soin Medical Center!”
Krislynn Sellers – Pharmacy Infusion Center, Southview Medical Center
“Krislynn routinely stretches herself to achieve more and more even in times of stress. She has taken on ordering for the pharmacy and has done an amazing job at that task. She is always looking ahead and when a patient arrives, she has already planned how to squeeze in their compound between making time consuming insurance phone calls. She has great customer service skills and has the ability make a person feel cared for even when they are worried about their health and a treatment they will be receiving. She patiently answers every question and makes sure they are fully prepared to come in to our facility and receive treatment. Krislynn has recently taken on the tasks of a team member that has had an unexpected absence. She has done an excellent job of sorting out, prioritizing, and handling the needs of patients that might otherwise have had to wait or had their treatment delayed, all while still handling her normal tasks with the same attention to detail she always gives them. She is a very talented and dedicated pharmacy tech, always striving to do her best, and put the patient first. Krislynn always does her job with professionalism and courtesy to the patients. She has a way of making sure their great experience here starts from the moment she receives their order. There have been several instances she has identified issues and resolved them, so the patient can receive treatment in a timely manner with proper insurance coverage. She is an amazing asset to our pharmacy department.”
Kristen Hicks – Emergency Department, Troy Hospital
“Kristen goes above and beyond every shift to make sure her patients get the best care possible and is always willing to help her co-workers. In the last year Kristen transitioned from a HUC in the Emergency Department to starting her nursing career right in the middle of a global pandemic. The care she gives is never lacking and her willingness to learn during the pandemic never faltered. Kristen is an amazing asset to our department and her hard work is appreciated by everyone. Kristen positively affects everyone in the emergency department by the way she demonstrates concern and compassion for our patients, physicians, co-workers, and visitors. She is the first to jump in when someone has questions, needs a shift covered or needs help.”
Do you know someone who is a Network Star? Help us honor them by telling their story in the Network Stars form, located in the MyHR portal.