Haywood Regional Celebrates Employees Making a Difference

Haywood Regional (HRMC) celebrates their employees every quarter with a program called “iamthedifference”. This program aims to recognize employees who go above and beyond their job description to ensure patients and the community are cared for.

“This program began in 2018 and has taken off. This quarter we had 44 persons nominated, all of whom had incredibly touching stories and examples of how they make sure patients are receiving the best care possible, or how they are making the work environment a better place for all, or how they go above and beyond in our community to make an impact. It is never an easy decision to pick the winners. They all have such an impact in our hospital,” says Judy Millard, Director of Human Resources at Haywood Regional.

The administrative team envisioned creating a program to boost morale internally but also showcase the employees who further their mission of Making Communities Healthier day in and day out. “So we came up with iamthedifference”, says Millard. Anyone can nominate an employee for the award and there are three departmental categories we chose a winner from: allied/administrative, clinical and physician practices. Those that send nominations in have to include specific examples of how the nominee goes above and beyond his/her job description. The award program is about the employees’ passion, satisfaction, quality, care, customer service, compassion, and so much more. All nominees are recognized in their individual departments and receive a pin to wear until the ceremony. Quarterly winners receive a reward and a pin, and also become eligible for an annual prize.

“I am so proud of our nominees and winners. Our organization takes great pride in going the extra mile to care for our patients and this is evident by our recent success in patient satisfaction and quality. Our employees, physicians and board members are the means to our success and we are glad to be able to recognize those individuals who are truly making a difference,” says Rod Harkleroad, CEO of Haywood Regional. 

The quarter four 2018 winners were: Levi Henson, CNA at HRMC, Jean Migliarani, Medical Assistant at Haywood Surgical Associates, and Carmen Schultz, Pharmacy Technician at HRMC.  

EXAMPLES OF HOW THESE WINNERS GO ABOVE AND BEYOND IN OUR HOSPITAL:

• Levi Henson was nominated for his never ending compassion he shows to our patients. “Levi is the one who will take his time to laugh, pray, or sing with our patients,” says Lasha Plemmons BSN, RN, Director of Medical Surgical Nursing at HRMC.
• Jean Migliarani is a kind-hearted and uplifting employee at Haywood Surgical. She is the first to have holiday spirit, and even spends her own money for flowers and décor in the office. “We once had a patient who was about to walk home in the rain. Jean pulled out her own wallet and paid for this patient to get a cab home,” says Eugenia Larsen, Practice Coordinator at Haywood Surgical.
• Carmen Schultz once went above and beyond for a six-year-old boy who had an emergency appendectomy. Post-operative all the boy wanted was a purple popsicle. Carmen went beyond her call-of-duty to drive to Food Lion and get this little boy the popsicles he wanted. Carmen’s supervisor Howard Crenshaw, Director of Pharmacy at HRMC, said with tears in his eyes during the awarding ceremony, “If that is not making a difference, then I don’t know what is”.

Haywood Regional shared joyous celebration, touching stories, and a lot of laugher at the quarter four ceremony on Thursday, Feb 21. The hospital wants to personally congratulate all the nominees for quarter four including:

• Physician Practices: Victoria Parrott, Angie Penley, Stephanie Allen, Cindi Clark, Cindy Grahl, Bobbie Smith, Alicia Wilkerson, Marion Cable, April Holcombe, Melissa Carpenter, Laura Silverling, and Rachel Norman.
• Nursing: Robin Riggenbach, Vivian Grinder, Genaro Paz, Jamie Cavacos, Megan Gillespie, Carol Colon, Katie Hargrove, Sandi Porrey, Kim Broch, Ed Spencer, Jill Burnette.
• Allied Health/Administration: Lisa Hinkle, Chelsea Ramsey, Lynda Lewis, Jackie Webster, Misty Lovin, Tiffany Matthews, Teresa Moody, Diane Shaneyfelt, Anita Krumpe, Carmen Schultz, Charles Conway, Cindy Hammett, Rebecca Mashburn, Shannon Sorrells, Woody White, Jennifer Harkins, Katelin Jones, Scotty Setser, Mitch Decker, Kristina Spivey and Branda Gaddis.