An old man walked up a shore littered with thousands of starfish, beached and dying after a storm, as a young man was picking them up and flinging them back into the ocean. "Why do you bother?" the man scoffed. "You're not saving enough to make a difference." The young man picked up another starfish and sent it spinning back into the water. "I made a difference to that one," he said.
Each spring, PPMC's Cardiovascular Services gathers staff together to honor those employees who have made a difference to their patients. Employees are nominated by their coworkers, for their exceptional devotion and compassionate, high quality care for patients, and for the positive impact they have in their patients' and coworkers' lives.
This year, 84 ballots were submitted, up 22 from last year, in four categories: Physicians, NPs, PAs, Managers, Supervisors and Administrators; Support Services; Nursing; Allied Health.
The Starfish Awards Committee reviewed the blinded nominations, looking at job skill execution, sensitivity to patients’ and coworkers’ needs, positive attitude, morale boosters, ability to resolve issues, and efforts to go above and beyond. All 48 nominees were recognized at the ceremony, and a handful of nominees were called out as “finalists.”
The full room, with full hearts, was delighted as the names of the finalists were announced:
Dr. Robert Katz, who passed away in October 2009 and will never be forgotten, taught us that our actions make a difference in the lives of others. He was remembered for his “brilliance with people,” always making people feel special, like they were the most important patient he had. “He was our friend, generous and loving. He had a contagious laugh, his knowledge was endless; he was brilliant,” said Dr. Harvey Waxman, chief of Cardiovascular Services at PPMC.
Alice Mary Devenny, RN, a clinical resource coordinator in Social Work, was praised for her safe discharge handling, willingness to share her tremendous knowledge, and her colleagues noted that she is “the most efficient and thorough case manager.”
Pam Gurley, an inventory coordinator who works in the Storeroom, stood out for her true dedication, motivation and outstanding customer service. Her peers also said she was dependable, reliable, resourceful, pleasant, polite and always there to help.
Pat Gilroy, of a supervisor of the Vascular Lab, has a “heart of gold and a no nonsense approach to getting things done.” Her nomination reminded the awards committee that Pat, who has been at PPMC for over 40 years, is “one of the rocks upon which PPMC stands.”
Leslie Lang, a lead stress tech in Nuclear Cardiology, started at PPMC as a student and has worked her way into the hearts of our patients since being hired on full-time. Her nominees said that “we can hear her laughter coming from patient rooms,” and that patients come looking for her before they leave.
Congratulations to all the finalists and nominees!
Nominations are accepted all year long, so if you’d like to nominate your coworkers, please send nominations to Pat Clements at patricia.clements@uphs.upenn.edu.
