Making a Difference: June 2020 highlights

Employees across Michigan Medicine continue to make a difference and inspire colleagues through their hard work and dedication. Recognizing the contributions employees make to the organization helps the team to become more motivated, drives better teamwork and gives each individual a sense that they are an integral part of achieving organizational goals.

Here are just a few examples of how faculty and staff helped Michigan Medicine provide exceptional care and service last month:

Peer recognition

Elizabeth Ludwig, R.N., neurology

Elizabeth, you received several phone calls from a patient who needs medication to be able to drive to work safely, but has not been able to find a pharmacy that has it in stock. You went above and beyond, calling several pharmacies to confirm the availability (or lack thereof) of the medication, and communicating with the patient and the prescribing provider. Ultimately, you solved the issue and made it possible for the patient to obtain a refill before running out of meds (which would have been a true safety concern). Thank you for your commitment and for all the hard work you do to take excellent care of our patients!

Christopher James-Holland, security officer

Officer James-Holland took was stellar in the way he interacted with a patient who had autism in Children’s Emergency Services. He spent hours holding the child’s hand, comforting him and reassuring him. He definitely went above and beyond when it came to advocating for the patient and providing exceptional care! Great job, Officer James-Holland!

Jan Doolitte, senior director, Nursing Services

Jan, I want to thank you for your graceful talent to mitigate our team’s uncertainty during this difficult time. You are by far the most remarkable leader I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I can speak for most of the team and say we are all grateful for your leadership, insight, talent and personal touch as you inspire and lead us. We watched you spring into action facilitating all that was necessary for ambulatory COVID-19 standards of practice, never having gone through this before. Your leadership has changed many lives, whether or not you know that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Lauren Dubke, R.N., operating rooms/recovery/PACU

Lauren has been genuinely helpful and kind toward her coworkers. She always brings positive vibes at work that brightens up the entire shift. Her sincerity truly touched me when she offered me rides going back to my car every time I parked in a commuter lot. Lauren, your kindness will always be remembered. I am lucky and the UH OR is so fortunate to have someone like you on the team.

Patient to staff

Kate Bullard, M.S.W., social work

Kate is a remarkable clinician. I started seeing her when I miscarried to deal with grief, loss and postpartum anxiety and depression. Little did I know, that would be just the tip of the iceberg. She helped me navigate infertility, in-laws and all the ups and downs of my marriage that were directly impacted by the aforementioned issues. I have seen other counselors before and there really is something about the “goodness of fit.” Kate was an incredible fit for my personality, as well as someone who could challenge me and push me into my zone of necessary growth and discomfort. She will be held in my mind as a most respected clinician and the best therapist I have ever seen. Thank you, Kate.

Sandy Raymond, R.N., Northville Infusion Center

I have been very fortunate to be receiving infusions either in Ann Arbor or Northville. When in Northville, Sandy always shows that she has many wonderful qualities as a nurse. I appreciate Sandy’s sense of humor, which she interjects at times and enables me to take my mind off the reality of my illness. She also has a calming attitude, listens and speaks with understanding. I have also noted that she is well-respected by her peers and has gained experience with her years of service. She is very professional and always answers my questions to the best of her ability. My wife and I always have questions and she manages to always answer them. She wants to know if I need anything and pays attention to the details. Because I see her once a month, she has become a friend as well as a professional. I appreciate you, Sandy!

Tina Reed, call center supervisor, pediatric cardiology

I want to thank Tina and recognize her hard work and extra effort. She put in a lot of time and dedication to get my little girl in to see an expert – it truly means the world to me. Tina acted as if my daughter were her own. I really appreciate her determination and great work ethic in helping pull this all together in such a short amount of time. She took the worry and stress away from this very concerned mama. Thank you, Tina!

Lisa Hicks, medical assistant, Brighton Center for Specialty Care

Lisa makes a difference by remembering and truly caring for the people she sees. Every time I went in, I knew there was a good chance I was going to have a procedure done that was going to be painful. But Lisa worked very hard to make me comfortable, to help calm me, to sympathize with my pain and encourage me. She was always there to hold my hand and tell me how strong I was. Those words can make all the difference. It was the encouragement I needed when the proverbial “kitchen sink” was being tossed at me. Lisa goes above and beyond. She is kind and compassionate. I can never thank her enough for helping me through these tough years.

Click here to nominate a colleague or team who makes a difference at Michigan Medicine!