Celebrating the special moments: Colleagues honored with ‘Making a Difference’ awards

Approximately a 3-minute read.

Each and every day, thousands of Michigan Medicine employees contribute to the success of our mission. Through their dedication, our employees not only make blue go, but they also leave an indelible mark on the patients, families, learners and colleagues they interact with.

Recently, the Michigan Medicine Making a Difference recognition platform surpassed 92,000 unique instances of members of our community celebrating one another for going the extra mile. In just a few short years, we have seen incredible involvement from our teams on this platform, and we will continue sharing stories from the frontlines, behind-the-scenes and all of the special moments that set Michigan Medicine apart.

A voice for others

Rami Beddiar, an interpreter with Michigan Medicine Interpreter Services, was recently recognized by his colleague, senior interpreter David Porta. 

Porta shared: “Upon being called outside his working hours to help a patient in need who just came out of surgery, Rami immediately responded, helping first interpreting over the phone and coming to the hospital immediately afterwards to interpret in person. Rami provided a most needed voice in time of distress, demonstrating an unparalleled level of care wholeheartedly appreciated by the care team. Thank you, Rami! You are setting the standards!”

Going above and beyond

Jessica Habbouche, a specialty pharmacy clinical pharmacist, recognized her colleague, Kristen Soreide, a clinical pharmacy generalist, stating: “Kristin has gone above and beyond to support multiple teams in the specialty pharmacy outside of her own clinical area. She is such a valuable member of our team and the pharmacists really appreciate her.”

Chief perfusionist David Sturmer recognized fellow perfusion services employee, Christopher Douglas, for his efforts to assist during key supply shortages. 

Sturmer highlighted how, “Chris has worked relentlessly to keep our cardioplegia solutions in stock following a nationwide crisis. This includes making calls to the company to organize shipping, maintaining inventory, working with the perfusion team to design conservation strategies and maintaining constant communication with the team. Thank you for everything you do!”

Helping the team

Amanda Poole, a radiologic technologist on the UH radiology team, thanked Conrad Payne, a member of Environmental Services, for doing extra work to assist in an emergency. She shared, “Thank you for going above and beyond to help x-ray clean up the room after a patient became very sick. Your extra effort does not go unnoticed and we truly appreciate you!”

Recognize extraordinary members of your team

We all make a difference and help Michigan Medicine thrive. Share stories of difference-makers on the recognition platform today!