Through our Values in Action awards, we celebrate our colleagues and recognize them for their commitment to living our values. It is our honor to commemorate these individuals for treating our patients, families, visitors and staff with Dignity, Service, Excellence and Justice every day. A complete list of all nominees is available by clicking here. Our winners, listed below, will be celebrated amongst their peers over the coming weeks. In addition, winners will be honored during a Board of Trustees meeting and during a Pilgrimage in Eureka, California, in June. Please join us in congratulating the winners of the 2018 Values in Action Awards:
Dignity: Gail Burr, Manager, Volunteer Services
Gail leads Queen of the Valley (QVMC’s) team of nearly 200 volunteers with empathy, integrity and optimism. Gail is a friend to each of our volunteers, from giving one of our volunteers who lost her home in the wildfire the hope and strength to rebuild while sharing her grief, to adding heart-warming touches to the Volunteer Christmas Banquet, such as honoring our volunteers who have passed with a ringing of a bell and moment of silence. Gail shines a light on the gifts each of our volunteers bring to the organization and treats everyone with the dignity and respect they deserve. Gail comes to work every day with a positive attitude and an optimistic outlook. Gail cares for others with her whole heart and always exudes strength and a positive attitude. She is an inspiration to us all.
Service: Florencia Daquioag, Nursing Assistant
Florencia has worked at QVMC for the past 25 years. Her ability to take the initiative, work hard and show compassion ensures each patient has nothing but sacred encounters while in our care. The stories her nominators shared say it all. When a patient requested Florencia pray with her, she began reading the bible to the patient and stayed with her, holding her hand and praying, until the patient closed her eyes. When patients who are homeless need a jacket for the winter or clothing or food, Florencia always makes sure the patient is able to have these basic needs met. Florencia can calm down anxious patients by talking with them, walking with them or taking them in a wheelchair to the rose garden. She understands the importance of getting patients out of bed to help their health. When they return to the room, Florencia helps to bath the patient, and ensures they have a warm blanket to help them fall asleep. Her dedication to providing perfect care to each of our patients is why Florencia earned the Values in Action award for Service.
Excellence: Aura Silva, Manager, CARE Network
For the past 17 years, Aura has worked in the Community Outreach department in various capacities. She received nearly a dozen nominations from her peers who were compelled to nominate her for her work ethic, integrity, compassion and desire to help the individuals she supervises and the patients the Community Outreach team cares for. As the mother of triplets, she knows how to juggle many balls, all while wearing a smile. According to her colleagues, Aura is an excellent listener who is skilled at collecting data, building partnerships, and finding solutions for clients who are enduring physical, emotional, and psycho-social challenges. As one nominator wrote, “What sets her apart is she believes she can make a difference, and her passion is contagious!”
Justice: Ernesto Avelar, Clinical Pharmacist
Ernesto is a Clinical Pharmacist who never forgets to come to work with a smile. According to his peers, his attitude is amazing and his fellow caregivers trust him for his reliability, skill and desire to act in the best interest of the patient. When a patient was in need of a medication that was not on our formulary, Ernesto went above and beyond to ensure the patient had access to their prescribed medication, not only calling the care provider on a Sunday to have the medication transfer arranged, but also personally picking up the medication to ensure the patient had it right away. According to the individual who nominated him, this is a regular type of behavior for Ernesto. He goes above and beyond to provide excellent service.
In 2017, caregivers reflected on who we are and provided input to help develop new mission, vision and values statements that resonate with caregivers at both legacy Providence Health & Services and St. Joseph Health organizations. As we discussed at the Employee Forums last week, Compassion and Integrity resonated with many caregivers and have been added to our list of values. We join Providence St. Joseph Health ministries in adopting our new, unified mission, vision and values of Compassion, Dignity, Justice, Excellence and Integrity as we move forward into 2018.