Alli Brown, Physical Therapy Assistant | October 2024
Nominated by a colleague
Alli, Physical Therapy Assistant, is our latest Sunshine Award honoree. Show Alli your appreciation! She was nominated by a colleague in her department: “Alli gives her patients all of herself- her skill, intelligence, emotional and even spiritual support! Recently, she had a challenging day that would leave any healthcare professional depleted; yet she kept giving.
First, Alli spent a one-hour session in the morning and afternoon with a patient to treat her severe vestibular symptoms (while educating a student in the process). The patient needed a lot of calming techniques, emotional support and time to complete the needed treatment. The time Alli gave this patient significantly improved the patient's symptoms and she felt much better.
This same day Alli had been asking about the status of a patient who was on the PT list but not assigned to her rotation. The patient had been transitioned to hospice service that day. Later in the afternoon, Alli heard this patient call out "help me." Alli attended to the patient in her room and could see that she was actively dying.
Alli became aware that her son was unable to be at her bedside due to airplane weather delays. So at the end of her treating time, Alli took it upon herself to complete her charting in the patient's room. (Personally and professionally it doesn't matter if much paperwork got done as Allie provided care for this person's soul.) She held the patient's hand, told her it was okay to go and sang to her. She stayed with her until she passed. After a long day, Alli took the time to give this woman dignity, support and grace to pass on. Alli provided a gift to her son that his mother was not alone.
I am truly amazed at everything Alli does for her patients. She is an amazing employee and an aspiration of wholehearted caregiving!”
Shawna Dale, Medical Imaging Specialist | August 2024
Nominated by colleague Cassidy Ririe
Shawna treats every single patient with so much patience and kindness. She makes sure that they never feel rushed, and always valued! She has a smile and joke ready for every patient, will sit and talk with them if they're nervous about a scan, and she takes so many extra efforts to help them out, or to make a connection that leaves them smiling. She follows through on her promise to patients when she needs to chase calls, whether it be to a doctor, other medical facility, and follows up with the patient in less than 24 hours. Shawna truly cares about each and every patient, and does everything she can to make sure they leave better than when they came in. I think she is more than deserving of the Sunshine Award, because she IS a ray of sunshine every day.
Annette Hill, Physical Therapist | June 2024
Nominated by a family member
Congrats to Annette, Physical Therapist, and EIRMC’s newest Sunshine Award winner for compassionate caregiving. Annette was nominated by a patient’s wife. “My husband was in the hospital for pneumonia. Annette worked with him and based on her observations, she requested a neurology consult, which resulted in a diagnose of Parkinson’s. My husband has had symptoms for years that we can now see and identify but previously were chalking them up to his stroke. We are extremely grateful to Annette for seeing something and saying something. She deserves the Sunshine Award and more, for her attention to her patients and not ignoring things she saw and her intuition as to what it was. Thank you Annette.”
Nathaniel Jones, EVS Associate | April 2024
Nominated by a colleague
A couple years ago, volunteer Joyce Balmforth donated a plush horse to the pediatric unit to cheer up the kid. It became somewhat of a mascot for the unit. A contest was held with the kids to name the horse. The kids picked the named Choco Chips.
Fast forward to the EIRMC flood of 2023. Choco Chips did not survive the flood. Nathaniel saw the impact Choco Chips had on the kids and felt a sense of sadness for Choco’s loss. He was determined to bring Choco Chips back to the unit. Nathaniel touched base with Joyce to find out where she purchased the original, and then proceeded to order a replica of Choco Chips for the pediatric unit.
Thanks to Nathaniel, the mascot Choco Chips will continue to bring smiles to our pediatric patients faces for years to come!
Annabelle Garner, PCT | February 2024
Nominated by a colleague
Annabelle has gone above and beyond for her patients on several occasions. She delivers blankets to family members who are sleeping overnight in the recliner chairs. She buys them at TJ Maxx and then gives it to them when she sees someone who might need it.
On another occasion, we had a trauma patient who was here a while and they were from California. Annabelle took his wife to her house so she could do all of her laundry. Then Annabelle took her to lunch and out shopping because she had been cooped up in the hospital for two weeks with her husband with no family here. They discharged and brought Annabelle a gift and a thank you card. She took her a blanket also!
Really everyday Annabelle is doing something for patients or staff. She makes sure all of the nurses on the floor eat and will go get everyone breakfast everyday if they don’t have time.