VUAH Healthcare Hero Award Recipients December 2022
The VUH Retention Committee is pleased to announce the following winners of the 2022 Q3 Healthcare Hero Awards. Created in January 2022, the Healthcare Hero Awards recognize staff at Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital that exhibit excellence in patient care, team morale, and credo.
| Nurse Leader of the Quarter Christina Mathis, Manager - 6RW and 7RW From Christina’s nomination: Medication administration safety is of huge importance to any hospital system and patient safety. While completing her Master's in Nursing Administration, Christina completed a capstone project on medication safety and distractions surrounding Omnicell medication dispensing in the Round Wing. Recommendations made after her project included that nursing leadership should play a pivotal role in staff education and awareness of medication safety strategies such as distraction-free zones as well as the impact of distractions and interruptions to medication administration. To engage her staff with this work and ensure that all new staff understands these important concepts, she meets with every nurse resident cohort for one hour to discuss these concepts. |
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| During this time, she also provides introductions to quality data and other skills that are tracked on the visual management boards for each of her units. By doing this, she can be sure that her staff understands the importance of medication administration safety and distraction-free zones in attempts to avoid medication administration errors and patient harm. Christina daily exemplifies all tenets of the Vanderbilt CREDO. To begin, she ensures that her staff on 6RW and 7RW are her highest priority. She daily rounds and actively listens to staff & patient/family concerns. Through her daily presence and active listening, she makes others feel appreciated, valued and more than just another employee. |
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| Ancillary Staff Member of the Quarter Erica Shannon - Guest Services Rep |
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From Erica’s nomination: Erica organized a fundraiser collecting toiletries and food items for the transplant patients and their families staying at the hospitality house. Our transplant patients are required to live in the surrounding area and have to commit to being here anywhere from 3-6 months post-heart transplant in order to receive the multitude of tests/exams/follow-up care. |
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| This is something required that patients coming from Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky Arkansas, and other Eastern parts of Tennessee must comply with and can struggle with. She made an individual effort to provide the hospitality house with items that people living away from home may need. Erica's ability to understand and communicate with patients' family members is astounding. She provides a place for patients' family members to feel welcome and taken care of. The respect she shows for even the most distraught of families is commendable. She truly loves what she does and takes pride in her work. Our patients and families of patients couldn't be in better hands with Erica watching out for them. She reflects on what it is like to truly manage up and cultivate an environment of credo. |
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| Ancillary Staff Member of the Quarter: Magdi Whba - Food and Nutrition Host |
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From Magdi’s nomination: Magdi always greets each and every patient with a smile. He strikes up a conversation with the patients in rooms and lets them know that each person has a place in his heart. He exudes compassion. He will find the nurse if the patient has a need, and he makes sure that patients always are satisfied with their meal trays. I have noticed a steep decline in dietary-related complaints when he is on the job! |
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| He has learned that I am the discharge nurse and when he sees me go into a room to discharge a patient, he comes in in order to say goodbye to the patient. I have yet to meet a patient who did not beam in pleasure when he did this! Magdi always speaks to every staff member and patient with the utmost respect and caring professionalism. He encourages patients by telling them he is thinking about them and praying for them. He elevates other team members to patients. He often says "Oh, Katy, she is the best, yes? She will take great care of you!" when he sees me in a room with a patient. He met me once and from then on never forgot my name. He has done the same with all of the staff members on our unit. He truly is a special person and VUMC is so lucky to have him! |
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