At Carle Health, care begins before patients, visitors and team members enter our buildings.
When Carle Health shuttle drivers take outpatients, visitors and team members to and from Carle Foundation Hospital, they provide more than a lift. They ensure everyone’s safety and do so with a smile.
“Every shuttle bus driver takes the time to be friendly and kind to all passengers,” Tanner Musgrove, a sterile processing technician who works the evening shift at Carle Foundation Hospital, said.
Each quarter, Carle Health recognizes team members who live the Carle Health Values of Excellence, Integrity, Inclusivity, Compassion and Accountability, as well as Leaders and Teams who embrace all the Values.
The Carle Foundation Hospital shuttle services team’s focus on safety and service with a smile earned it the latest quarterly Way to Be! Team award. The shuttle services team’s story and those of all seven Carle Health quarterly Way to Be! winners follow:
TEAM
Shuttle services team, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana
Carle Foundation Hospital drivers shuttle outpatients, visitors and team members from designated areas of the Champaign County Fairgrounds and The Vineyard Church of Central Illinois parking lots to the hospital and back again. While most outpatients and visitors park in the parking garage and lots beside the hospital, some park in the fairgrounds and church lots. Carle Health ensures their safety with a 24/7 shuttle service.
Shuttle drivers provide more than a lift. Night shuttle drivers have been known to follow people who prefer to walk, making sure they get safely into their cars and out of the lots.
“They are never far in case anyone needs help,” Musgrove said. “They greet us with a smile and friendly conversation that make sure everyone starts on the right foot.”
“I enjoy when our drivers build camaraderie with patients, guests and team members,” Alvin Hannon, manager of Carle Foundation Hospital parking, shuttle and guest assistance services, said.
LEADER
Steve Novitski, Carle Foundation Hospital Food Services culinary supervisor
Carle Foundation Hospital Food and Nutrition Services received a call from a long-term care facility asking for help with meals for residents. The facility’s kitchen had been closed by the health department and the facility needed help with meals until its kitchen passed a re-inspection.
Steve Novitski, the hospital’s Food Services culinary supervisor, talked with the long-term care facility and his team. The team agreed to help and hammered out logistics.
The Food Services production team started their days at 4 a.m. and produced about 190 meals, three times a day for three days until the skilled care facility’s kitchen passed a reinspection. That was in addition to the team’s daily average of 1,000 patient meal trays and more than 1,500 reFresh Eatery transactions.
“Carle is here for the community, and we did what needed to be done,” Novitski said. “At Carle Health, we have a can-do attitude.”
INCLUSIVITY
Yvaine Washington, information technology service desk analyst, Carle Health Methodist Hospital, Peoria
A patient at Carle Health Methodist was being moved to a new room to promote privacy and maintain dignity. The patient has sensory disorders, meaning the change was causing anxiety.
Nurses realized that playing the patient’s favorite movie on a DVD player in her new room would promote calm. They called Washington, an information technology service desk analyst, to repair the DVD player.
He repaired the DVD player, tested it, moved it into the patient’s room, removed other technology to promote a safe environment and remained there until the patient was calm. He helped the nurses and patient feel at ease.
“Simply fixing the DVD player made an impactful difference in patient care,” Jori Cowan, nursing professional development specialist at Carle Health Methodist, said. “But the more impactful gesture was Yvaine’s trust as a part of our team.”
EXCELLENCE
Bradley W. Grissom, APRN, CNP, Carle Heart and Vascular Institute – Danville Cardiology
Bradley W. Grissom, APRN, CNP, was covering for another provider during her absence when a vascular test result came through late on a Friday when Grissom should have been on his way home.
“It was a critical result, and I wanted to make sure the patient got prompt and appropriate care,” he said.
He consulted with multiple vascular surgery specialists to ensure every detail was correct, ordered appropriate follow-up tests, called the patient, explained the results with clarity and compassion, outlined the plan of care and made sure the patient had a follow-up appointment with a surgeon.
“This wasn’t an isolated moment,” Sarah Peters, PA, Carle Heart and Vascular Institute – Danville Cardiology, said. “Bradley does this all the time. He consistently goes above and beyond, taking ownership of each patient’s care as though they were his own family.”
INTEGRITY
Justin Roberds, certified pharmacy technician, Carle BroMenn Medical Center inpatient pharmacy
A service technician, working solo, was performing scheduled maintenance in the Carle BroMenn Medical Center inpatient pharmacy IV room. He was replacing the HEPA filter in a couple of IV hoods when the cabinet and motor housing of the hood fell off and pinned him against a wall.
Roberds jumped up and helped lift the cabinet so the service tech could get out from under it.
“Thankfully, he was alright and decided to call in reinforcements,” Roberds said. “They finished the install near the end of my shift, but I stayed late to deep clean the IV room” to maintain a sterile environment.
“Justin demonstrated an ability to quickly assess a critical situation, recognized the potential downstream consequences, took ownership of the problem and saw the work through to completion,” Tony Beoletto, PharmD, pharmacy operations supervisor at Carle BroMenn and Carle Eureka Hospital, said.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Lashawn Brown, environmental services tech at Carle BroMenn Medical Center
A healthcare tech was assisting a patient at Carle BroMenn when she received a fall alarm alert for another patient. She needed to ensure the first patient was safe before stepping away to respond to the alarm.
When she did, she saw Lashawn Brown, environmental services tech, assisting the patient.
“I was getting my housekeeping cart out of the closet when I heard a bed alarm going off in a room directly across the hall,” Brown said. “I went into the room and saw the patient was standing and appeared to be shaking. I stayed close until nursing arrived and could safely take over.”
The patient was unsteady and confused. Brown’s quick response helped prevent a potential fall, Lindsey Etheridge, RN, BSN, progressive care unit nurse supervisor, said.
“Patient safety is everyone’s responsibility,” Brown said.
COMPASSION
Kevin Kim, family medicine physician, Carle Monticello
When a patient’s face swelled, Kevin Kim, DO, family medicine physician at Carle Monticello, examined the patient and insisted they immediately go to the emergency department.
“He saved my life,” the patient said. “The ED doc said I would have died in two days.”
“I was diagnosed with vena cava syndrome, blood clots and stage 4 incurable cancer,” the patient said. “When I was hospitalized, he (Dr. Kim) came to see me and prayed with me. His nurses have been kind and supportive. He and his team educated me and connected me to resources available through Carle Health, like palliative care and a nutritionist.
“I finished chemo and radiation and am currently receiving immunotherapy,” the patient said. Her original prognosis of two months is now three years.
“I am so grateful to Dr. Kim and his staff and my cancer doctors. I feel lucky to be alive and a Carle patient.”
Join our team
Would you like to work for an organization whose team members support each other, patients and visitors? If so, click here.
When Carle Health shuttle drivers take outpatients, visitors and team members to and from Carle Foundation Hospital, they provide more than a lift. They ensure everyone’s safety and do so with a smile.
“Every shuttle bus driver takes the time to be friendly and kind to all passengers,” Tanner Musgrove, a sterile processing technician who works the evening shift at Carle Foundation Hospital, said.
Each quarter, Carle Health recognizes team members who live the Carle Health Values of Excellence, Integrity, Inclusivity, Compassion and Accountability, as well as Leaders and Teams who embrace all the Values.
The Carle Foundation Hospital shuttle services team’s focus on safety and service with a smile earned it the latest quarterly Way to Be! Team award. The shuttle services team’s story and those of all seven Carle Health quarterly Way to Be! winners follow:
TEAM
Shuttle services team, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana
Carle Foundation Hospital drivers shuttle outpatients, visitors and team members from designated areas of the Champaign County Fairgrounds and The Vineyard Church of Central Illinois parking lots to the hospital and back again. While most outpatients and visitors park in the parking garage and lots beside the hospital, some park in the fairgrounds and church lots. Carle Health ensures their safety with a 24/7 shuttle service.
Shuttle drivers provide more than a lift. Night shuttle drivers have been known to follow people who prefer to walk, making sure they get safely into their cars and out of the lots.
“They are never far in case anyone needs help,” Musgrove said. “They greet us with a smile and friendly conversation that make sure everyone starts on the right foot.”
“I enjoy when our drivers build camaraderie with patients, guests and team members,” Alvin Hannon, manager of Carle Foundation Hospital parking, shuttle and guest assistance services, said.
LEADER
Steve Novitski, Carle Foundation Hospital Food Services culinary supervisor
Carle Foundation Hospital Food and Nutrition Services received a call from a long-term care facility asking for help with meals for residents. The facility’s kitchen had been closed by the health department and the facility needed help with meals until its kitchen passed a re-inspection.
Steve Novitski, the hospital’s Food Services culinary supervisor, talked with the long-term care facility and his team. The team agreed to help and hammered out logistics.
The Food Services production team started their days at 4 a.m. and produced about 190 meals, three times a day for three days until the skilled care facility’s kitchen passed a reinspection. That was in addition to the team’s daily average of 1,000 patient meal trays and more than 1,500 reFresh Eatery transactions.
“Carle is here for the community, and we did what needed to be done,” Novitski said. “At Carle Health, we have a can-do attitude.”
INCLUSIVITY
Yvaine Washington, information technology service desk analyst, Carle Health Methodist Hospital, Peoria
A patient at Carle Health Methodist was being moved to a new room to promote privacy and maintain dignity. The patient has sensory disorders, meaning the change was causing anxiety.
Nurses realized that playing the patient’s favorite movie on a DVD player in her new room would promote calm. They called Washington, an information technology service desk analyst, to repair the DVD player.
He repaired the DVD player, tested it, moved it into the patient’s room, removed other technology to promote a safe environment and remained there until the patient was calm. He helped the nurses and patient feel at ease.
“Simply fixing the DVD player made an impactful difference in patient care,” Jori Cowan, nursing professional development specialist at Carle Health Methodist, said. “But the more impactful gesture was Yvaine’s trust as a part of our team.”
EXCELLENCE
Bradley W. Grissom, APRN, CNP, Carle Heart and Vascular Institute – Danville Cardiology
Bradley W. Grissom, APRN, CNP, was covering for another provider during her absence when a vascular test result came through late on a Friday when Grissom should have been on his way home.
“It was a critical result, and I wanted to make sure the patient got prompt and appropriate care,” he said.
He consulted with multiple vascular surgery specialists to ensure every detail was correct, ordered appropriate follow-up tests, called the patient, explained the results with clarity and compassion, outlined the plan of care and made sure the patient had a follow-up appointment with a surgeon.
“This wasn’t an isolated moment,” Sarah Peters, PA, Carle Heart and Vascular Institute – Danville Cardiology, said. “Bradley does this all the time. He consistently goes above and beyond, taking ownership of each patient’s care as though they were his own family.”
INTEGRITY
Justin Roberds, certified pharmacy technician, Carle BroMenn Medical Center inpatient pharmacy
A service technician, working solo, was performing scheduled maintenance in the Carle BroMenn Medical Center inpatient pharmacy IV room. He was replacing the HEPA filter in a couple of IV hoods when the cabinet and motor housing of the hood fell off and pinned him against a wall.
Roberds jumped up and helped lift the cabinet so the service tech could get out from under it.
“Thankfully, he was alright and decided to call in reinforcements,” Roberds said. “They finished the install near the end of my shift, but I stayed late to deep clean the IV room” to maintain a sterile environment.
“Justin demonstrated an ability to quickly assess a critical situation, recognized the potential downstream consequences, took ownership of the problem and saw the work through to completion,” Tony Beoletto, PharmD, pharmacy operations supervisor at Carle BroMenn and Carle Eureka Hospital, said.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Lashawn Brown, environmental services tech at Carle BroMenn Medical Center
A healthcare tech was assisting a patient at Carle BroMenn when she received a fall alarm alert for another patient. She needed to ensure the first patient was safe before stepping away to respond to the alarm.
When she did, she saw Lashawn Brown, environmental services tech, assisting the patient.
“I was getting my housekeeping cart out of the closet when I heard a bed alarm going off in a room directly across the hall,” Brown said. “I went into the room and saw the patient was standing and appeared to be shaking. I stayed close until nursing arrived and could safely take over.”
The patient was unsteady and confused. Brown’s quick response helped prevent a potential fall, Lindsey Etheridge, RN, BSN, progressive care unit nurse supervisor, said.
“Patient safety is everyone’s responsibility,” Brown said.
COMPASSION
Kevin Kim, family medicine physician, Carle Monticello
When a patient’s face swelled, Kevin Kim, DO, family medicine physician at Carle Monticello, examined the patient and insisted they immediately go to the emergency department.
“He saved my life,” the patient said. “The ED doc said I would have died in two days.”
“I was diagnosed with vena cava syndrome, blood clots and stage 4 incurable cancer,” the patient said. “When I was hospitalized, he (Dr. Kim) came to see me and prayed with me. His nurses have been kind and supportive. He and his team educated me and connected me to resources available through Carle Health, like palliative care and a nutritionist.
“I finished chemo and radiation and am currently receiving immunotherapy,” the patient said. Her original prognosis of two months is now three years.
“I am so grateful to Dr. Kim and his staff and my cancer doctors. I feel lucky to be alive and a Carle patient.”
Join our team
Would you like to work for an organization whose team members support each other, patients and visitors? If so, click here.
Categories: Culture of Quality
Tags: Awards, BroMenn, cardiology, CATR, CFH, Culture, Danville, doctor, EVS, Experience, food, Hospital, IT, Methodist, Monticello, pharmacy, shuttle, Values