Our Staff Who Shined This Month
We had several winners this month for Manager & Employee of the Month. Read on to learn more about them!
Employees of the Month
Samantha Summy - Suburban House (2 nominations)
#1:
"Sam is the calmest, kindest, and most patient person I have had the pleasure to work with. She takes the time to really hear what each person is saying, even when it might take that person longer to get their point across. She offers choices related to every task, never assuming what the person may or may not want. She encourages and supports their independence, but balances that with safety also. She jokes with people, but never at their expense, only in a sweet caring way. Sam is a great trainer, offering the correct way to complete a task, but also adding the personalized touches that she knows the individuals prefer. She is so thorough with her job duties and has suggestions to make things easier for coworkers and herself. She is the definition of a compassionate caregiver!"
#2:
"I am nominating Sam Summy for Employee of the Month for a variety of reasons, among them is that she is a burst of positive energy and always has ideas for the individuals we support. After a new resident moved in, she had a list of these ideas that we could try to help them with showering more regularly. Sam also had suggestions on other things we can try to make it a fun activity and resources we might be able to get outside of Phoenix. She trained me at Suburban and continues to teach myself and others new things every day. She is also flexible with adjusting her schedule to help with the needs of Suburban and picks up when she can, despite her crazy schedule outside of Phoenix! I just want to say thank you, for all that you do and for creating a positive environment not only for the individuals we support, but for the staff at Suburban as well."
Lydia Scherr-Demzuk - Nursing Team
"I would like to express my gratitude to Lydia Scherr-Demzuk this month. Lydia exemplifies nursing integrity. She has shown true concern for Howard House and our clients, and even extends herself to know our staff and their interests. With her heavy workload, she often works diligently from morning to night, even when it disrupts her own work-life balance. She is a true advocate who motivates others. Even as she "lectures" our staff, they often leave the experience with a better understanding of their role. Lydia will never fail to use a moment to teach, and I find that inspiring.
This week, she came in early for important appts and stayed late to assist with cares for our newest admission. I cannot say enough how Lydia has kept me grounded in my own position, and for that reason, I believe she deserves this nomination. Thank you!"
Zinash Weldeyes - Furness House
"I am very excited to nominate Zinash Weldeyes. She has worked at Furness for more than 2 years. One thing I love about Zinash is that she understands what it means to be on time. She always volunteers to help on the floor and covers the last-minutes shifts that we struggle to find coverage for. She keeps the house smelling good, and she enjoys her work here at Furness House. She organizes the closets, keeps the refrigerator clean, and she communicates with her manager when something is wrong and gets it rectified right away."
Alexis Johnson - Furness House
"It is my pleasure to nominate Alexis Johnson for an employee achievement award for her outstanding performance as an RSP. Alexis just started working at Furness House 2 months ago, but ever since she came to Furness House, she brings joy and happiness to the individuals at the house.
Alexis enjoys working with individuals. She does activities with them, takes them out for a walk, and she certainly ensures the residents are safe at all times. She is one staff who will never argue; she works so hard to make sure everything goes well, even when we are short staffed. She volunteers to stay extra hours when the next shift comes in late.
One sad thing to hear about Alexis is that she has health issues. She has sickle cell and this has really touched me when she tells me how her health affects her job. Alexis is a single mom; she has 4 kids and works very hard to support them."
Manager of the Month
Shirlena Wilson - Furness House
"It is my pleasure to nominate Shirlena for an employee achievement award for her outstanding performance as a program manager at Furness. Shirlena is a fabulous employee and a huge asset to Furness residents, family, and staff. She deserves award and recognition.
I have worked with Shirlena for almost two years now. I find her to have a great personality, very jovial, and helpful. Shirlena is very dedicated as a manager at Furness House. Families enjoy working with her. I have watched Shirlena make great conversation with the families. The families rely so much on Shirlena because they trust her when it comes to their loved ones. Shirlena takes her time with them to let them know it is well. (She always says, “I got this.”)
She is very dedicated to her work and has a great work ethic and involvement. Shirlena has an efficient approach to tasks and projects and has consistently helped the team meet deadlines. So many of us here at Phoenix are constantly amazed with her performance. She has completed all her Thriving Leaders classes and is on the move with training.
She takes the initiative to figure out what areas are needed with minimal guidance from her supervisor, and then delivers on the task. She also always goes above and beyond the call of duty in pursuing excellence to different houses. Any time you ask Shirlena to go to any house when she is on-call, she never hesitates, even to new places she has never been to before. She still goes and becomes accustomed to those places.
Staff enjoy working with Shirlena. She ensures proper training for new employees, she motivates her staff with surprises and encourages them when they have their ups and downs. Thank you for your dedication and contribution, your commitment, professionalism, and sense of humor!"