A bicycle shop salesman who learned that you need to know where a person is coming from to understand how best to move forward.
A candy striper who learned that asking for help is a sign of strength.
A farm hand who learned that no job is beneath you.
Stories of Carle Health team members’ first jobs ever are lined with bicycle grease, floor wax and pig manure.
They helped develop team members who are trustworthy, responsible, big-hearted and patient-focused.
“Those first jobs are formative,” Keith Knepp, MD, Carle Health Greater Peoria president, said. “They’re your introduction to the working world, interacting with all types of people, learning new skills and making lots of mistakes.”
For example, the first job for Matt Collins, project director, Children’s Mental Health Grant, Trillium Place, was working at his grandfather’s bicycle shop in Peoria. He had originally opened the shop in an impoverished area of town and had recently expanded in a more affluent area of town.
“What stands out the most to me is the number of people from the neighborhood my grandfather used to serve who would still find a way to come visit his shop,” Collins said. “My grandfather would find a way to air up tires, untangle a chain and put in some elbow grease and not charge them. I asked my grandpa one day why he didn’t charge in these instances. He said it was about helping people. ‘If there aren’t bikes, we are out of a job.’ My grandfather’s new shop didn’t last long but my grandfather was never anywhere without knowing a customer he had once helped.
“What I learned from that is there is always a way to help, and it generally requires understanding where a person is coming from to understand how best to move forward,” he said.
Dr. Knepp, Carle Health Greater Peoria president, worked on a family pig farm in Secor, Illinois, when he was a junior in high school. “I was the farmer’s hired hand and spent my days feeding and moving pigs, grinding feed and trimming teeth and tails. It was dirty, hard work.
“Working on that pig farm, I learned it’s good to do something outside of your comfort zone,” Dr. Knepp said. “I learned how to figure things out. Pigs don’t always go where you want them to go, the gate latch sometimes won’t close and the tractor doesn’t always start. Sometimes, you have to find a creative solution on your own. I learned you should never think there’s a job that’s beneath you.
Debbie Lee, MS, RN, Accreditation and ISO coordinator, Carle Health Greater Peoria Service Area, helped her mom clean a medical office building. “I was 11 years old. The last job we would do was wax the waiting room floor on our hands and knees to the door, then lock up for the night. I learned the responsibility of being trusted with the keys to enter an empty facility. I learned to be respectful and to take pride in a job well done.
“When I was 15, I applied for and was hired as a housekeeper at a hospital. It was my experiences that inspired me to become an RN,” Lee said.
Pat Huisinga, RN, BSN, inpatient rehab, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, was a volunteer (at that time called a candy striper) at a hospital at age 14. She answered call lights, passed out food trays, fed patients, made beds, talked with patients, and assisted them in making phone calls.
Her work inspired her to become a nurse.
“I learned you don’t have to know all the answers but know how to access your resources. Asking someone for help is not a sign of weakness but strength,” Huisinga said.
Sara Krewson, MS, CCLS, child life specialist lead, Carle Foundation Hospital, when she was 17 and 18, worked with the summer janitorial crew at her local school district. “It was a great lesson in gritty, hard work. I learned how satisfying it can be to finish a task and be able to see the impact of your work. I grew so much from the relationships I built with the janitorial staff. From the head janitor who knew about the building and exactly how to keep it running in top condition, to the Laotian refugee who brought his family to the United States. I learned that everyone has an incredible story to tell if you have the time to listen.”
Raynette Camfield, RN, Carle Mattoon on Lerna, worked at an open-air fruit and vegetable market in Mattoon. Camfield began working there at age 12 and did this for several summers, sorting produce and waiting on customers.
These experiences taught her how to help customers who were having rough days. “I can remember a sense of accomplishment when I was able to get a smile.”
Other team members, whose first jobs ranged from detasselers to dog bathers, learned to be detail oriented, to help other team members, to keep the atmosphere friendly and to adapt to circumstances.
As Zene Orr, CPhT, pharmacy systems technician, Carle Foundation Hospital inpatient pharmacy, said of being a dog bather: “I learned that a job half done is not done at all, so give 100% effort the first time.”
Would you enjoy working with committed and interesting professionals who have had a huge range of life experiences? Click here.
A candy striper who learned that asking for help is a sign of strength.
A farm hand who learned that no job is beneath you.
Stories of Carle Health team members’ first jobs ever are lined with bicycle grease, floor wax and pig manure.
They helped develop team members who are trustworthy, responsible, big-hearted and patient-focused.
“Those first jobs are formative,” Keith Knepp, MD, Carle Health Greater Peoria president, said. “They’re your introduction to the working world, interacting with all types of people, learning new skills and making lots of mistakes.”
For example, the first job for Matt Collins, project director, Children’s Mental Health Grant, Trillium Place, was working at his grandfather’s bicycle shop in Peoria. He had originally opened the shop in an impoverished area of town and had recently expanded in a more affluent area of town.
“What stands out the most to me is the number of people from the neighborhood my grandfather used to serve who would still find a way to come visit his shop,” Collins said. “My grandfather would find a way to air up tires, untangle a chain and put in some elbow grease and not charge them. I asked my grandpa one day why he didn’t charge in these instances. He said it was about helping people. ‘If there aren’t bikes, we are out of a job.’ My grandfather’s new shop didn’t last long but my grandfather was never anywhere without knowing a customer he had once helped.
“What I learned from that is there is always a way to help, and it generally requires understanding where a person is coming from to understand how best to move forward,” he said.
Dr. Knepp, Carle Health Greater Peoria president, worked on a family pig farm in Secor, Illinois, when he was a junior in high school. “I was the farmer’s hired hand and spent my days feeding and moving pigs, grinding feed and trimming teeth and tails. It was dirty, hard work.
“Working on that pig farm, I learned it’s good to do something outside of your comfort zone,” Dr. Knepp said. “I learned how to figure things out. Pigs don’t always go where you want them to go, the gate latch sometimes won’t close and the tractor doesn’t always start. Sometimes, you have to find a creative solution on your own. I learned you should never think there’s a job that’s beneath you.
Debbie Lee, MS, RN, Accreditation and ISO coordinator, Carle Health Greater Peoria Service Area, helped her mom clean a medical office building. “I was 11 years old. The last job we would do was wax the waiting room floor on our hands and knees to the door, then lock up for the night. I learned the responsibility of being trusted with the keys to enter an empty facility. I learned to be respectful and to take pride in a job well done.
“When I was 15, I applied for and was hired as a housekeeper at a hospital. It was my experiences that inspired me to become an RN,” Lee said.
Pat Huisinga, RN, BSN, inpatient rehab, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, was a volunteer (at that time called a candy striper) at a hospital at age 14. She answered call lights, passed out food trays, fed patients, made beds, talked with patients, and assisted them in making phone calls.
Her work inspired her to become a nurse.
“I learned you don’t have to know all the answers but know how to access your resources. Asking someone for help is not a sign of weakness but strength,” Huisinga said.
Sara Krewson, MS, CCLS, child life specialist lead, Carle Foundation Hospital, when she was 17 and 18, worked with the summer janitorial crew at her local school district. “It was a great lesson in gritty, hard work. I learned how satisfying it can be to finish a task and be able to see the impact of your work. I grew so much from the relationships I built with the janitorial staff. From the head janitor who knew about the building and exactly how to keep it running in top condition, to the Laotian refugee who brought his family to the United States. I learned that everyone has an incredible story to tell if you have the time to listen.”
Raynette Camfield, RN, Carle Mattoon on Lerna, worked at an open-air fruit and vegetable market in Mattoon. Camfield began working there at age 12 and did this for several summers, sorting produce and waiting on customers.
These experiences taught her how to help customers who were having rough days. “I can remember a sense of accomplishment when I was able to get a smile.”
Other team members, whose first jobs ranged from detasselers to dog bathers, learned to be detail oriented, to help other team members, to keep the atmosphere friendly and to adapt to circumstances.
As Zene Orr, CPhT, pharmacy systems technician, Carle Foundation Hospital inpatient pharmacy, said of being a dog bather: “I learned that a job half done is not done at all, so give 100% effort the first time.”
Would you enjoy working with committed and interesting professionals who have had a huge range of life experiences? Click here.
Categories: Culture of Quality