TCMH Holds Annual Employee Celebration

Cody Rogers, 2018 TCMH Employee of the Year & Wes Murray, TCMH chief executive officer

Texas County Memorial Hospital gave out top employee awards and honored 38 employees with service awards at the 36^th Annual Celebration of TCMH Employees on Friday at the Melba Performing Arts Center in Houston.  In attendance were approximately 125 employees, many with guests, for a total attendance of about 200 people.

Amy Wilson of Elk Creek took top honors as manager of the year at TCMH for 2018.

Wilson, an employee at TCMH since 2005, is the housekeeping department director at TCMH.

“I have had the privilege of watching the housekeeping department blossom into a unified group over the past several years,” Wes Murray, TCMH chief executive officer said.  “I have enjoyed watching Amy grow in her leadership abilities since she first took over the housekeeping department back in 2006.”

“The housekeeping department is one of two of our hospital departments that continuously leads the way in our patient satisfaction scores every month,” Amanda Turpin, quality director said.  “Amy is very deserving of this award.”

“Through Amy’s leadership she is able to create a feeling of “family” within her department and the staff genuinely care about one another and others,” Rachel Davis, marketing and public relations director said.  “In the short amount of time I have had the privilege of working at TCMH, I realized very early on that Amy’s staff are some of the first to make eye contact, speak as they enter a room, or pass others in the hallways.”

“We have a group of great managers at TCMH, and this year Amy has exhibited the leadership qualities that meet our expectations of her and her department,” Murray said.

Cody Rogers of Houston received the employee of the year award.

Employee of the year is limited to the individuals who have received the honor of employee of the month since the 2017 employee awards ceremony.  All employees are allowed to vote for employee of the year by choosing one employee of the month in a secret ballot vote.

Rogers is a registered nurse in the emergency department at TCMH, and he has worked in the department since 2016.

“Cody is a rising star in the field that he has chosen,” Jerri Sue Crump, emergency department director said, “He has earned respect from the ER staff along with ancillary departments and is continuously looking to grow his knowledge in his profession.”

Rogers first came to TCMH as a Youth Ambassador.  He participated in the program during his junior and senior years of high school.

Rogers was a TCMH Healthcare Foundation Youth Ambassador Scholarship recipient two times.  He has also received two DAISY award nominations during his career at TCMH.

Rogers was given the opportunity to speak after receiving his award on Friday and he delivered a great message to those in attendance at the event.

Rogers mentioned a sign that is displayed in the emergency department that describes the importance of kindness.

“I feel honored to receive this award and be a part of the emergency department team, but if I could leave you with one little piece of advice, I would remind you to spread kindness wherever you live and work,” Rogers said.  “It is through spreading kindness to others that we are able to accomplish great things.”

The manager of the year and the employee of the year were honored with an engraved plaque, a $500 check, a pin and a day of paid time off.

Nancy Fisher & Tamma Floyd, 2018 TCMH Customer Service Employees of the Year

The TCMH Customer Quality Team honored two employees that exemplified excellent customer service in the hospital organization in 2018.  Nancy Fisher and Tamma Floyd were chosen to receive the honor. Fisher works in the housekeeping department and Floyd works at Hutcheson Pharmacy.

Fisher and Floyd were each awarded a plaque for their efforts and a $150 check.

The Customer Quality Team also recognized two hospital departments with a “Customer Service Department of the Year” award.  The Laboratory and the Social Services department each received the award.

The Laboratory department at TCMH encompasses inpatient care in all of the nursing departments and outpatient care.  The department has experienced growth in several areas in the past year and has continued to provide excellent customer service to patients and other departments that rely on laboratory services.

The Social Services department is a single person department, but the director, Angie Gimpel, delivers great care to the patients and families of TCMH.

“Her work is often behind the scenes and takes place during all different hours of each day, but she is an invaluable resource to the hospital,” Murray said.  “We appreciate her commitment to caring for those she serves day in and day out.”

Each department will receive a special meal in their honor.

Murray and TCMH board member, Omanez Fockler recognized employees with service awards.

Linda Hall was recognized for 40 years of service.

Kim Briggs was recognized for 30 years of service.

Dr. Stephen Hawkins, Tony Young, Vanessa White, Jo Stout, Jerry Pursifull, Michelle Jenkins, Shannon Bridges and Cathy Stilley were recognized for 25 years of service.

Chris Weaver, Dana Wilson, Patty Crosley and Lisa Steelman were recognized for 20 years of service.

Recognized for 10 years of service were Jerri Sue Crump, John Derrick, Jennifer Smith, David Phipps, Jeff Ijames, Jason Steelman, Stuart Mitchell, Jessica Dawson, Diann Coble and Cora Turnbull.

Recognized for 5 years of service were Dacy Kirkman, Christie Koch, Mary Clark, Micki Cummins, Sandra Cooper, Jeremy Wisdom, David Jones, Michelle Bergonzoni, Michael Cooper, Crystal Hendrickson, Stephanie Tabor, Reanna Glover, Ashley Cochran and Stephanie Wilkins.

TCMH also gave out prizes to hospital employees that had volunteered at hospital events throughout the year.

In addition to the ceremony, the event included a non-perishable food drive for the Texas County Food Pantry, a photo booth, a slide show featuring pictures taken throughout the year and a surprise visit from Santa Clause.