Jennie Cullum
Bedford Adult Day Center

As activity coordinator at the Bedford Adult Day Center, Jennie arranges activities and skills training for day center participants. Of her job, Jennie says, "I really didn't know how I'd enjoy working with people with mental and physical disabilities, but I really do."

Jennie finds her job very fulfilling. Participants who come to the day center have different skill levels, and Jennie builds activities for all ability levels, from practicing letters and shapes to dental and hair care to shopping and money management. For disabled participants, she feels it is important to help maintain a level of performance, such as the use of hands.

Colleagues of Jennie praise her for her "grace, compassion and patience." Active in her church and community, Jennie has traveled on mission trips through Latin America and also serves the needy locally.

Says Jennie, "It's a challenge. Every day is new." As a caregiver, Jennie makes sure that each day is full of fun and learning in a caring environment.

Andrea Hanlon
Carilion Hospice Services, CNRV

Andrea's life is guided by mission work, something she feels she has always been driven and called to do. She explains, "I see social work as a mission field here in the United States." Dealing with end of life issues is part of Andrea's daily experience. She says, "I think everybody has their niche or passion in life, and this is something I'm really passionate about."

Andrea is a resource for her patients, advocating for them whenever there is a need. Along with the nuts and bolts of living, Andrea's work extends to helping her patients come to terms with dying. She sees birth and death as bound and feels that both are beautiful experiences. She explains that, "A lot of our families and patients have to complete a whole lifetime of closure before they are able to pass peacefully."

Outside of work, Andrea's service continues. She leads a grief support group, participates in Relay for Life and is a volunteer and donor for the American Red Cross. In addition, Andrea also has served on two medical mission trips to Haiti.

Loys Holland
Environmental Services, CFMH

Loys brings an infectious smile to work at Environmental Services at CFMH. Before her mother's passing, Loys visited her at CFMH where she saw how things worked and saw a need in Environmental Services. Loys said to herself, "This is a job that I'd want, a job I can be proud to do. It's basically why I wanted to come to Franklin. I saw a need and wanted to fill it."

Growing up with 15 brothers and sisters, Loys has always been around a lot of people. She is committed to making people happy and delivering the highest level of customer service possible. She says, "Meeting people is the best part of the job, because I just love people."

Loys takes great pride in her work, receiving high scores on all of her room inspection reports. Explains Loys: "I do my job. I'm proud to do my job; whatever I go at, I'm proud to do what I do and do the best I can."

Outside of her work, Loys is active in her church and enjoys shopping and spending time with her six grandchildren.

Dorothy Knapczyk
Carilion Home Services

As a certified nursing assistant with Carilion Home Services, Dorothy assists elderly patients at home. She cheerfully comments, "Anything they need, I do it." She bathes, dresses and feeds her patients and also tidies up and completes tasks they can no longer do. Says a coworker, "She is extremely flexible and exemplifies the true meaning of caring for others."

With her own children grown, Dorothy chose to foster two small children. She intends to continue "as long as Franklin County needs foster parents."

Dorothy made a big sacrifice last summer by donating a kidney to a long-time friend. Although it was a painful procedure, she keeps a positive attitude, saying, "I'm just glad I could do it."

Trained in hospice care, Dorothy helps when the hospice is shorthanded. Of her work, she says: "My whole life, even as a little girl, I always remember wanting to help people.  I told myself when I get a job, I don't want just any old job. I want it to be a job where I can actually help people and make a difference."

Larry Lafon
Giles Transport, CGMH

Described by his peers as a supervisor, mentor and a friend, Larry has served on Giles County's rescue squad since 1965 and has worked for Carilion since 1972.

He always has loved to help people, especially the elderly. Larry's policy is to be kind to everybody and to provide for a patient's basic needs. He says, "Of what we do, the best thing is being good to our customers. I like to treat people how I would want to be treated in their circumstances." Larry explains, "Good customer service and patient care are what it's all about."

Community service is an important part of what Larry does. He sees his work with the community and rescue squad as intertwined, saying, "Part of my job is to be involved in community activities so I know what's going on. It's important to get the county prepared for disaster. To do that, you have to be involved." Larry is a lifetime member of the Newport Volunteer Rescue Squad, serves on various hospital committees and participates on the Giles County emergency oversight committee.

Sherrie Meadows
Patient Access Department, CSJH

After a 10-year interval as a stay-at-home mom, Sherrie returned to her position as a patient access representative for Carilion Clinic last summer — and she hasn't missed a beat. Coworkers and patients at CSJH, as well as the entire Lexington community, are all comforted by her return. As a natural people person, Sherrie is perfectly suited for her role. Her interaction with patients provides them with comfort and reassurance. "The patients love to be registered by her, because she is so friendly," noted one of her coworkers. "She goes out of her way to have a conversation with them to make them feel more comfortable."

Described as an "extremely hard worker who always has a smile on her face, helps without being asked and provides great customer service," Sherrie also has been an inspiration to coworkers for her community-mindedness. She plans, organizes and implements community service projects for her department to participate in, which has instilled camaraderie among colleagues and has comforted those in need. "Sherrie is always thinking of others," a coworker stated. Among the community service projects that she has organized for her coworkers are a food collection for Project Horizon, a Lexington women's shelter, and a winter clothing drive for children in need at a local elementary school. "I think it's important to give back to the community," Sherrie says.

Janet Pagans
Eligibility Assistance Service

Janet's coworkers say she is "a real team member" and is "always professional, courteous and kind." With 21 years of service to Carilion, Janet brings her knowledge to work, helping patients with disability applications, Medicaid and financial needs applications to cover their medical expenses.

Janet says the best part of her job is working with the patients, "I like the patient contact, helping people who need assistance and putting my little part in to help them get the assistance they need." Just one area where Janet goes above and beyond is in studying Spanish so that she can better communicate with the Spanish speaking population.

Patients appreciate Janet's hard work and diligence. She exhausts all resources and finds creative solutions to aid patients in covering their expenses. She says, "They tell us all the time how much they appreciate EAS staffing at the OB/GYN clinic to help them apply for programs to help their financial situations."

Roberta Smith
Inpatient Rehab (Rehab 2)

Roberta brings a positive outlook and 12 years of service to patient rehabilitation. As a physical therapy assistant, she helps patients accept and overcome physical limitations caused by anything from car accidents and strokes to traumatic brain injuries. Frustration can be a part of daily life, but Roberta is quick to emphasize the good parts of recovery, seeing each patient "like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon."

Roberta helps patients fulfill what they are capable of doing, which is often relearning something simple like moving from a reclining to sitting position. She also works with patients on balance skills and increasing strength. She says the best part of her job is when patients say, "I couldn't do this without you." Roberta explains, "Knowing I'm an integral part of the process is very fulfilling." Her service to patients continues outside of the hospital where she visits and corresponds with former patients who don’t have families, bringing them companionship, food and other things that they may need. Roberta is instrumental in organizing Heart Walk, regularly donates blood and visits schools through the Caring Careers program to represent careers in healthcare.

Rochelle Stapleton
Carilion Labs

Rochelle (Shellie) likes working with a variety of people and enjoys helping others especially, in crisis situations. Shellie comforts folks by reducing the intensity of a situation. Her career goal is to become a paramedic and ride with an emergency transport team.

In her spare time, Shellie attends evening classes to become a paramedic. In addition, she volunteers with the Dinwiddie Volunteer Rescue Squad two nights a week and on some weekends. Two of Shellie's children share their mother's interest in helping others and volunteer with the rescue squad.

Shellie never has a boring day thanks to her busy life and commitment to her job. This nomination is "very big" for her. When asked what this award means to her, Shellie responds, "I have never won anything like this before."

Janet Thompson
Speech Language Pathology, CRMH

As a speech language pathologist, Janet does much more than help people learn to form words. She works with patients who have a variety of difficulties in understanding language and expressing themselves. Her patients may experience changes that result from illness or injury like a stroke or brain tumor. She helps them with anything from problem-solving to paying attention, organizing, sequencing and much more. Janet says the best part of her job is "seeing the patients change and improve in the areas that they are having problems with and knowing that I've had a part in that."

Janet also is involved heavily in the training of new speech language pathologists and enjoys working with them. She says, "I think it's wonderful to see them grow in their skills and become excited about the field of speech pathology in this setting."

Away from work, Janet is devoted to her family and church. She has traveled to Nicargua on a medical mission and has sought to improve her conversational Spanish skills.

Dedria Tuck, R.N.
Carilion Clinic Southeast Family Medicine, Roanoke

During a recent power outage at sister clinic, Roanoke-Salem, the staff had to relocate and operate out of the southeast clinic for two days. Dedria was proud to see her team of nurses working with the Roanoke-Salem nurses as one well-oiled machine. She explains, "My staff and the people I work with are just fabulous. Everyone pitched in, and we were able to accommodate everyone. The Roanoke-Salem staff felt welcomed, and we knew we did the best for our patients."

Dedria recently became an instructor in pediatric advanced lifesaving and teaches CPR in the community. She regularly seeks educational opportunities for herself and her team so they can provide better service.

In the community, Dedria participates in health fairs and car-seat checks to help raise awareness of safe practices for kids. She also volunteers with Straight Street, an organization for troubled youth, and last year Dedria went on a construction mission trip to New Orleans with her church. Rebuilding homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, she says, was "the hardest work I've ever done physically, but the most rewarding."

Susan Welch, L.P.N.
CMG

Medical expertise isn't the only attribute that's required for quality pediatric care: comforting crying patients and exhibiting outstanding communication skills are among the unique attributes that also are necessary. As the lead clinical coordinator of Carilion Pediatric Medicine, Susan has mastered all of the skills required for caring for pediatric patients.

"In pediatrics, you need to provide good medical care to the patient, while ensuring that parents, grandparents and family members are convinced that the care is appropriate. This is often a challenge, and Susan is one of the best at achieving this," stated one coworker, who added that when Susan meets with anxious parents, "they get the message that we care."

Susan says, "It's important in pediatrics to look at the family dynamics, because the parents and sometimes other family members have to be aware of the situation and the treatments, and parents always have a lot of questions and concerns that have to be addressed."

Susan considers family dynamics in her role as a nurse manager too. "Susan shows the same respect for her coworkers as she does for patients and their families. Coworkers' needs, plus the needs of their families, are addressed," says someone who works with Susan.

Stephanie Witt
12 W Medical Surgical, CRMH

As a certified nursing assistant, Stephanie's role involves assisting patients with daily needs, from feeding and bathing to helping patients move around and make menu selections. She gets to see patients' health improving as they prepare for their next stage. "I just like to care for my patients," says Stephanie, "I take extra time to be a little more gentle and to treat my patients how I would want myself or a loved one to be treated."

In the fall, Stephanie plans to begin pursuing her goal of becoming a registered nurse. As an R. N., she says, "I hope to be able to help people further."