Kimberly Zunker, lead tech in the Clinical Lab, was Soin Medical Center’s nominee for the Ohio Hospital Association’s 2018 Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award. One employee from each campus is nominated for this award, which is presented annually to one Ohio hospital caregiver who personifies a leader, gives back to the community, reflects the mission and values of his or her organization, and routinely goes beyond the call of duty. You can read Kimberly’s nomination below:
Great Leader
In her time as lead tech at Soin Medical Center, Kimberly has identified areas of process improvement and taken initiative to find solutions. When she observed a lack of clarity in the reporting process concerning the oxygen saturation of a new blood gas analyzer, Kimberly took the time to gather as much information as she could and present the problem to the technical specialists of the system. She spent time researching and working on this project at home, and dedicated so much attention to her recommendations that a resolution was quickly reached. When Kimberly first began in her role, Soin Medical Center’s Clinical Lab was struggling with their turnaround time. Kimberly began sending out extremely detailed, color-coded statistics reports every day to the Clinical Lab staff that communicate how the team is doing on turnaround time and quality measures. Since Kimberly has begun sending these reports, her team has grown more aware of tracking progress and identifying opportunities for improvement. Kimberly recognized that the staff needed to understand why their turnaround times were higher and she took initiative to elevate the success of the team.
Goes Beyond the Call of Duty
Kimberly consistently dedicates extra time to Soin Medical Center and to her team in the core lab. When someone is needed to fill in for overnight shifts, she commits to the tasks without complaint or hesitation. During the training of new staff members, she adjust her schedule to cover where is needed the most, always with a positive, helpful attitude. Recently, during a weekend shift, a machine int he core lab wasn’t working properly, and Kimberly came in to the office during her time off to fix the machine and ensure that the team on-call had all the resources they needed to appropriately complete their work. Kimberly is devoted to and enthusiastic about her work, and is always ready to provide the extra help needed to complete any tasks at hand.
Reflects Mission and Values of Kettering Health Network
Kimberly lives out her faith in the way that she approaches her interactions with and treatment of her co-workers and staff. Whenever she is faced with conflict, she is mindful of her communication and always conveys an attitude of care. Kimberly exemplifies Kettering Health Network’s core value of collaboration by attending leadership meetings to represent the team when managers are not available. One of Kettering Health Network’s core values is innovation, and Kimberly is constantly assessing where she and her team can grow to do the very best job they can on behalf of their patients.
Gives Back to the Community
Kimberly is an active member of her church, participating in and leading activities and even managing the church website. Kimberly has a heart for service. After hosting a birthday party for her daughter, she called her church to find families in need that the leftover food could be taken to. She and her husband also hosted a meal last Thanksgiving for their church community. Kimberly is always striving for personal growth and constantly connects to others in health care, with genuine desire to learn more and learn from others. She recently earned her MBA and has started looking into other opportunities for continued learning.