The Employee of the Month award recognizes individuals who exemplify our Kettering Health Network values in their daily work. We are giving a special focus to this award by recognizing individuals who have demonstrated our values specifically in the context of COVID-19. How we celebrate these award winners will be different in light of social distancing.
You can read the nomination stories and see the photos of the August Employees of the Month below. Congratulations to all of our recipients!
Megan Stewart – CLYO Primary Care, KPN
“Megan is patient focused and strives to provide a positive experience each and every time. I visited my physician’s office in immense pain and discomfort. After seeing my physician, she ordered some X-rays to be done and that is when I met with Megan. She was so nice as she would walk me through positioning. Megan could tell I was in pain and she did everything she could to comfort me the whole time. She went above what she needed to do to help me through the process. She made an impression on me and sets an example of how network employees should treat our patients. In my time of need, she was a comfort and I thank her for that.”
Brandi Howell – Patient Access, Prestige
“Brandi worked very hard to get the Kiosk tablet up and running for the KCC Grandview Infusion Center Go-Live. However, it was discovered that the Kiosk was not working the day before the go-live. Brandi was off that day and I called her to see what I needed to do to get it working. It was not a simple fix but she kept in constant contact with me by phone, and even came in to the office to troubleshoot it. They were able to resolve the issue after contacting IS and the Kiosk worked when the department opened on Monday. Brandi exemplifies what a true team member is. She did not have to come in on her day off, but she did to help her co-workers. This was just one small instance where Brandi always goes above and beyond for her co-workers.”
Jessica Fischer – Inpatient Therapy, Sycamore Medical Center
“Jessica went above and beyond with a chart review when evaluating an acute care patient. This patient was presenting some significant neuro deficits, and per her previous review, knew this was not a typical presentation. This patient was not admitted with a stroke but Jessica was right in pursuing dialog and action with the RN. Because of Jessica, this patient received a thorough neuro work up. A new neuro event was discovered on the MRI, and the patient was transferred to Kettering for possible neuro surgery. Jessica’s actions may have been life saving for this patient.”
Kristin Spin – Med Surg 3, Soin Medical Center
“During Kristin’s presentation we got to see the kind of nurse she is, not only to her patients and their families, but the staff as well. She told us about how she was precepting a new employee that day and worked really hard at preparing her new employee to present the WIG board. Her engagement and leadership with this new employee shows us how committed she is to our hospital. Additionally, she told us that she was proactive in speaking with our Chaplin to provide support to staff and come up with a better way to check on the employees of Med Surg 3, but provide emotional support to these staff members. We were touched by the effort and honesty that Kristin gave to us and wanted to let her know how much we support her and her team! We see her as a growing leader for our organization and wanted to take the moment to recognize her for the extra work she has done to make Med Surg 3 a better place each day for all employees.”
Melissa Turner – Hand & Orthopedic Center, Southview Medical Center
“Melissa displays what it means to be hard-working, reliable, and honest every day she enters the building. She does not shy away from working long hours, going the extra mile, or helping any co-worker with any task. She is honest as anyone can be and will address any issue on our unit in a respectful manner to fix issues or problems. She is someone that I look up to and respect as a friend and a co-worker. Her longevity with the hospital system helps display her loyalty to both her team and this network. The compassion, serving-nature, and dedication given to Melissa’s patients is seen by every person working with her. Her confident nature gives other nurses confidence in asking her for help or guidance.”
Tyler Gates – Patient Access, Troy Hospital
Tyler is an exceptional employee and is always willing to help out in any way he can. He is a collaborative co-worker and isn’t afraid to jump in and clean the emergency beds to help bring patients back faster to receive care. He has on multiple occasions helped patients into wheelchairs at the front door and brought them to the triage desk to be seen. Tyler always has a smile on his face, no matter what the circumstance may be. I have witnessed him walk into patients’ rooms to register them, and they light up as Tyler has a special way with people. He has received so many compliments from patients about his genuine and respectful attitude towards patients and their family. Tyler holds the utmost respect for his co-workers and is always impacting them in a positive way.”
Jennifer Lanier – IS Ambulatory Support, ASB
“Jennifer is such a special person and is always willing to help in any way. Jennifer was able to find an email address for everyone to use to fix their unemployment claims and we have all been successful in getting our claims fixed and received. I was able to relay this information and the process of emailing ODJFS to our manager. This was all credited to her relentless effort! She also stepped up in a big way to help me while I’m on a rotating furlough. I have some new providers and a new practice that she has worked with and assisted during my off weeks. It has been extremely helpful especially when it is just a quick question and does not require a ticket.”
Jessica Radick – Rehab Administration, Fort Hamilton Hospital
“Instead of calling for other staff, Jessica quietly said to a patient who was not up to doing rehab therapy, ‘I think you need cleaning up, and I don’t want to leave you in this condition.’ In spite of the strong odor, Jessica then took the next 30-45 minutes to use the necessary body movements to perform the task to clean the patient up, and at the same time, she was administering the minimal physical therapy the patient was capable of doing. I feel this was going above and beyond for this patient, and deserves recognition.”
Jeffrey Heston – Materials Distribution, Greene Memorial Hospital
“Jeff has been employed for 22 years and several employees have mentioned how helpful he is. His pleasant and quiet personality calms our employees. He has such a knowledge of Greene and is always willing to assist us. Jeff goes above job duties by seeking new and innovative ways to work as a team to complete a task. He is helpful, knowledgeable, and always willing to assist. Jeff has provided solutions to problems I have which is always a relief to get them solved. When we could not use cardboard boxes, he provided bins for me and also helped me with storage. I was a new employee and he helped explain the billing at Greene to me and walked me thorough the process. I feel I can rely on him.”
Kayla Singer – Social Services, Grandview Medical Center
“Kayla recently cared for three very difficult patients in the ICU with extensive social work needs. She was attentive to the families, communicated well, and advocated for each patient like they were her only concern. She did this while managing the needs of the entire hospital. Kayla’s actions positively changed the outcomes for three of our most vulnerable patients. Kayla demonstrated being a fierce advocate for our patients and role modeled patience, perseverance, and kindness.”
Megan Jasinski – Acute Adult Unit, KBMC
“Megan is always uplifting and patient centered as she writes notes for them on their boards, in their preferred colors, and always follows up with them. One day, a lady was very particular about what was written on her board (ie. the day she believed it was – which it wasn’t. The color of the expo marker used on her board. Not writing the APRNs name, etc.). Megan re-wrote the information multiple times to make sure the patient was happy and in control of the board. It was better to meet the patient where they were and support them through the current challenges. Megan communicates really well with her words and her facial expressions. She always has a plan because she thinks ahead.”
Janae Wicker – Athletic Trainer, Kettering Medical Center
“I spent a COVID-19 screening shift with Janae and she demonstrates Kettering’s values in helping others. She is quick to solve issues that arise and takes charge. She took her time to help a patient who only spoke Spanish, and used Google translate first to try and communicate what the patient needed. The patient was at the wrong location and Janae helped the patient across the road to the office where this patient needed to go. She treats everyone with care.”
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.