My Campus, People, Stars

Check Out the Network’s October Employees of the Month

Read Time: 9 mins

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 October Employees of the Month below. Congratulations to all of our recipients!

Cheryl Waldeck – Adult Psych, Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center

“Cheryl has had a difficult summer. Her husband needed daily treatments at the hospital each morning due to a serious injury. On each working day, she worked a 12 hour night shift, then took him to the hospital for infusions lasting hours. She pushed through this for months and no one ever saw this affect how she treated her team or her patients.  She always had a smile on her face and an incredible heart of service. Here are some quotes from Cheryl’s patients and coworkers:

She took the time to get to know me. She is friendly, kind & helpful. She cares about her pts by making them a priority.

She stands out to me because she is going in with extra effort. Great woman, bright and nice!

Enrique Medina – Patient Transportation, Grandview Medical Center

“Enrique ran to my rescue when a patient became aggressive on my unit. The patient was yelling and screaming at myself and a doctor when I called for security. Before security arrived, Enrique stopped what he was doing in another part of the unit to come to our aid. He entered the room and calmly but firmly let the patient know that he needed to calm down. Enrique stood in-between myself and the patient so I wouldn’t be harmed. He acted as safe barrier until the authorities arrived. His courage and dignity in the way he handled things makes feel safe. Knowing that an employee, like Enrique, will respond at any time reassures me that we are truly ‘in this together’.”

Mark Earnhart – Police & Security, Kettering Medical Center

“Mark has been helping me with Code Adam Drills for the past three years.  He is always professional during the drill and prompt with the reports following the drill. This weekend we had a glitch that made us consider what to do so the perpetrator does not get out of the hospital with a child.  His suggestion of having the dispatch operator make the overhead page could prevent a child from being abducted in our facility. Mark helps to meet the ODH requirements for Code Adam Drills quarterly on all shifts.  He is willing to come early or stay late to help me. Without a valuable security person to help me performing the drills would be much more difficult.”

Sarah Edsall – Emergency Department, Troy Hospital

“My husband had a COVID-19 exposure at work. He received a COVID-19 test but the results were taking a very long time to get back, which was frustrating. We were continuously checking for the results and following up with the facility who provided the test but we received no helpful information. We continued the run-around trying to find answers. After much frustration, I spoke with Sarah Edsall at Troy ED, who was extremely helpful. When nobody else was giving us answers, Sarah went above and beyond and shared with us the status of the test and the whereabouts of the results. Sarah was willing to help us. Sarah has by far been the most helpful during this frustrating time.”

Julienne Caldwell – Information Technology, Kettering College

“Julienne is so helpful and professional. She is always willing to do what it takes to help faculty with IT issues so they can effectively do their jobs as educators. She was incredibly gracious in helping me resolve some serious PC issues and she kept a great attitude! Julienne has been at the top of our IT needs in the lab, responding beyond expectations and finding creative solutions. She is a blessing and helps Kettering deliver excellent education by solving difficult technology challenges. Julienne is also recognized often by coworkers:

She has been invaluable to me – even in my frustration over technology mishaps that create more stress when preventing productivity. She is a gem! Thank you for acknowledging her!

Julienne helped me every single day for a week to help me get back into my account when I kept getting locked out. She always had a helpful spirit!

Dwayne Deis – eHIS Expense, Administrative Services Building

“Recently, Dwayne was helping me test the Epic upgrade for the emergency departments. During his only day of actual testing, he found a major issue in our test environment. He led a full effort to troubleshoot the issue.  Late that evening, it was identified that the issue only related to our test environment and would not affect any production systems after upgrade. Still, he stayed later in the evening to ensure his co-worker knew all the new information related to this issue found in testing.  The two of us then went through all the testing scripts, updating data to ensure all testers would be aware of the item he found in future steps. I was so impressed with his commitment to everyone he works with.  First, he was concerned with the ED department in his troubleshooting of the errors found.  He then was concerned that his co-worker, that would be new to the testing, was fully aware of his findings so they wouldn’t be concerned.  He then sat down with me and updated all the testing steps to ensure all of his co-workers were aware of the issue and that it would be fully documented for compliance.  He looked out for everyone before he thought about his scheduled time off. I believe Dwayne deserves to be recognized for his efforts in our Epic upgrade testing, but more for how he cares for all of those around him.”

Jennifer Shope – Troy Urology – WAPA, Kettering Physician Network

“Jennifer went above and beyond when dealing with a very sensitive issue regarding a patient, and the need to coordinate with several departments to meet this person’s needs. The patient needed to have multiple tests and imaging appointments completed due to a difficult potential diagnosis. Instead of coming back on separate days to have all testing completed, Jennifer worked with him to get it all scheduled on same day. Unfortunately, the appointments were cancelled and she then assisted in rescheduling him again so he could have them done on the same day. This really helped to keep the patient moving through the processes and then receive the care he required. He was obviously anxious and she showed extreme patience and kindness toward him as she helped him arrange his needed tests.”

Peggy Wells – Environmental Sciences, Soin Medical Center

“During our time as the designated unit Peggy has been a consistent and welcome member of our COVID-19 crew. She willingly gowns up every shift because she knows that her work matters and that it makes a world of difference to our patients and staff. Peggy goes about her day, consistently and unassuming, but her excellent attention to success is not overlooked.  She has become one of the team and is frequently included in our celebrations. Despite the long hours and the challenging work, Peggy can be found staying positive and providing support to the staff around her. She has dedicated so much energy and heart to our mission and I believe she is a shining example of what the Kettering Health Network difference is. Peggy’s positive attitude is a reminder to us all that we can and will overcome the most difficult of days. She does not allow herself to become jaded or hardened by the challenges and that confidence can be felt by those around her.”

Helen Gridley – Operating Room, Sycamore Medical Center

“Helen is a wonderful person with a positive attitude. She is always willing to help wherever and whenever necessary.  She will always volunteer to stay and finish a surgical procedure if it runs past her scheduled shift. She has been known to come in on her day off when we are short staffed or need her skill level for a complex case. Helen personifies the definition of a true team player. Helen’s positive actions make for a nice work environment. Her positive attitude rubs off on others. For example, Helen has volunteered at least twice to cover for me on difficult neuro days. Today in particular, she scrubbed so I could be with my four year old son who was having surgery. Helen made this day happen and this is why I feel she should be nominated.”

Barbara Paquette – Patient Access, Prestige

“Barb is simply amazing! Our team has grown in the last few months and she has taken on quite a few people to train. Most of the surgery team was furloughed due to COVID-19 but she came to work every day through all of this to make sure that our new members could be trained and ready to go for when we get back to normal life. She has been here since the beginning and has so much knowledge to give. She is one of the most selfless people I know and is such an encourager. She’s always leaving candy or small tokens of appreciation on our desks if we meet our personal goals, if we had a bad day, or just because. She boosts moral with her kind soul and giving heart. I am so blessed to be able to learn from her and work with her every day.”

Erica Jordan – Emergency & Ambulance Services, Greene Memorial Hospital

“Erica has been instrumental this month in helping to ensure that the department was sufficiently staffed.  She picked up additional hours as an RN, but also helped out in the HUC/NA roll due to a staff member resigning.  She has continuously during this time flexed her shifts to meet daytime as well as night time staffing needs.  Her coworkers have sent her Shooting Stars recently saying:

‘Erica, Greene Memorial Hospital is incredibly lucky to have you. Your skills, knowledge, and dedication to people are inspiring. Thank you for all you do!’

‘Erica is amazing. She is so flexible. She will always adjust her schedule for the department’s needs.’”

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.

November 18, 2020
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