Prémios de Excelência do Presidente

I’ve been with Southcoast Health for 37 years, and I still wake up every day feeling grateful to do what I love. My patients always come first – I want them to feel comfortable, understood and cared for. I’ll stay late to make sure a test gets done and advocate for the little things that make a big difference – like making sure they can enjoy a cup of coffee when their procedure is over. We have the best patients, and I work with an incredible team – that makes me so proud to work for Southcoast. Outside of the hospital, you’ll find me playing pickleball with my husband and our friends, spending time with my children and just enjoying life. I love what I do. It hasn’t always been easy, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

I’ve been with Southcoast Health for nearly 33 years, and what I love most about being a leader is serving others and giving back. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to lead – not for myself but for the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, whether it’s my team, our patients or our community. I oversee Medical Staff Services, Interpreter Services, Volunteer Services and the Ambassador Program, and while it keeps me busy, I truly love every minute of it. A big part of who I am comes from my own experience with a major health issue; it gave me a deeper understanding of what it means to walk in the patient’s shoes. I’m inspired every day by the compassion, teamwork and innovation that define Southcoast Health; it really feels like family here.

I attribute much of my success to the incredible teams I work with every day. Over the  past 26 years at Southcoast Health, I’ve had the privilege of growing alongside some of the most dedicated professionals in healthcare. I began my leadership journey at the front desk in Neurosurgery, and through the years, I’ve been given countless opportunities to learn, grow and take on new challenges. Today, I oversee Surgery across multiple specialties and sites. Staying connected with our providers and staff is a top priority for me. I genuinely love what I do, and that passion drives me to go above and beyond for our patients and my teams. I am so grateful to my Southcoast family, to serve the community where I was raised, and to give back to the health system that has provided great care to me and my family.

I started at Southcoast Health five years ago, but I’ve been working in community health for over 40 years. I manage a team of five community health workers and have my own caseload as well. I take pride in listening to my patients and meeting them where they’re at. I appreciate the opportunity to work with the Care Navigation team – we help break down barriers for patients who are intimidated by healthcare or had less-than-ideal experiences in their past. We work to address the social determinants that impact health and wellness. Our team is comprised of nurses, pharmacists, social workers, community health workers and a community resource specialist. Together, we share and discuss strategies to best address the issues our patients are facing.

I took a job at Charlton Memorial Hospital for a three-month gig as a temporary carpenter and when my contract was up, they asked me to stay on. I’m now celebrating 40 years with Southcoast Health as a carpenter and 25 years as a locksmith for Charlton Memorial. I love my job here at Southcoast, particularly the area of locksmithing with my focus being on key and combination locks. Faith and community are important parts of my life, and I volunteer as a Sunday school teacher on the weekends. My work ethic stems from my faith and what my parents always said to me: “Take care of others first and things will come your way.”

I started at Southcoast Health in 2001 as an emergency services assistant. It was right after high school, and I had planned to go into law enforcement but found that it wasn’t for me. The following year – after being encouraged by providers and nurses to pursue a career in healthcare – it was time. I went to nursing school,  joined the ICU as a new graduate, and from there moved into leadership and eventually into my current role. As a nurse educator, I believe real leadership means rolling up your sleeves, teaching through action, and never forgetting what it feels like to be new or unsure. I’m fortunate to work with such dedicated nurses and leaders who truly make Southcoast Health feel like a family. I also draw strength from my wife, our two boys, and my close colleagues who remind me every day why the work we do matters.

I’ve been practicing medicine for over 30 years, with nearly two decades at Southcoast Health. I began my career in the ICU, working in critical care, and later transitioned to the Heart & Vascular team. I currently work with the Advanced Heart Failure program – a small, focused team dedicated to improving patient outcomes. My approach combines clinical insight with compassion. I spend time listening to patients and reviewing data to help reduce hospitalizations and support quality of life. Over the years, I’ve received meaningful notes from patients, families, students and colleagues – reminders of the relationships and impact that matter most. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, reading, being outdoors, and making an annual trip to Red Rocks to see my favorite band. I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and proud to be part of a team that puts patients first.

I’ve been here more than 23 years, and what keeps me going every day is the teamwork and the sense of purpose that comes with what we do. Everybody that I work with, everyone cares – they make it a pleasure to work here. As a clinical pharmacist, I work closely with physicians and nurses in the ICU and CCU to make sure every patient gets the right care – from dosing complexmedications to managing critical therapies. Over the
years, I’ve also taken on training new pharmacists and students. It’s fulfilling to help others grow and know they’re continuing that same level of care. To me, it’s never just about dispensing medication – there’s always a person at the end of every order. And that’s what drives me: doing whatever it takes to take care of that person.

I’ve worked at Southcoast Health for 18 years, starting out as a housekeeper at  Charlton Memorial. I left for a short time to work at Tobey as a Team Lead, but I missed Charlton Memorial – the people, the atmosphere, everything about it – so I came back. It’s like home to me. I truly love what I do. I take a lot of pride in keeping things clean and safe for our patients, families and staff, because it helps people heal and feel comfortable. My favorite job is polishing the floors. It sounds like such a simple thing, but I just love seeing them shine. I will always remember my old team lead Jerry. He passed during the pandemic, and I think of him every time I walk through the hospital. He always told me, “Just keep doing a good job and you’ll be a success.” Today, the best advice I can give others is to do your best every day – life is short.

The practice of medicine is a privilege where patients trust you to take good care of them. Growing up, my mentor was our family physician who delivered me and took care of my family. Watching him was truly inspiring and made me realize that this was what I wanted to do with my life. Together with our team of nurses, leadership, peers and staff, I try to provide the highest quality care to improve the safety and quality of women’s health in our community, and I love knowing we are making a difference. I share this award with all of the individuals I work with daily.

I was drawn to medicine, and in particular surgery, because I loved combining science  spect of doing things with my hands and dealing directly with people. I feel that is the reason I’m here,nas the combination of the two satisfies my quest perfectly. I feel it is our foremost task to improve the patient’s quality of life. My work is a major part of my life, and I truly love it. Work feels like family. On the surgical floors, we care for our patients together with the nurses, physicians and APPs supporting one another and doing our best, just like a family would. My grandfather taught me this and I have made it my motto: “Honor and shame, from no special conditions arise; sweep well your floor, and there the honor lies.”

A lot of people think “wellbeing” is just diet and exercise, but it’s so much more than that. My job is to help create a culture of belonging and camaraderie where people feel recognized, seen and heard. Our programs are designed to educate, motivate and inspire staff, and ultimately contribute to their daily experience and overall wellbeing. I have the privilege of helping people every single day, and my goal is for people to feel happy when they see me. One of my favorite things is when someone reaches out and I’m able to help them in a way that makes their work life a little brighter, a little better. My biggest strengths are my ability to stay positive and remember that anything is possible, and to always see the good in people. I believe that we’re all part of a greater mission, and when we collaborate and work together, we can do powerful things.