Three Northern Arizona Healthcare employees were recently honored with the company’s Living Our Values award. A committee of NAH colleagues from across the system reviews all nominations to select monthly honorees and quarterly champions.
The following L.O.V. honorees distinguished themselves by living NAH Values – Show compassion, Do amazing work, Respect differences, Build community; and Be better together. Thanks and congratulations to each and every one.
- Salvatore “Sam” Morabito, lead radiology technologist, at Verde Valley Medical Center in Cottonwood, was honored for the value of Do amazing work.
When Morabito heard an MRI colleague yelling down the hallway for help, he was quick to think on his feet. He ran to the colleague, assessed the issue and immediately helped take care of the patient, who was being extremely hysterical and abusive. Sam knew this patient and was able to use that relationship to convince her to go back to her room and get into bed without incident. He then notified the nurses on the floor and let them know what happened in MRI. Morabito’s awareness of the situation and lightning-fast actions kept a bad situation from escalating into a colleague and patient safety incident.
- Nicole Zygadlo, patient care technician at Flagstaff Medical Center, was honored for the value of Build community.
Loneliness is a difficult thing, especially at the end of life when companionship means so much. Zygadlo was troubled when she encountered a particular patient who was on end-of-life care but had no friends or family to lean on for comfort during this time. She had read about a program at another hospital where volunteers came to spend time with lonely patients and decided to pitch the same program at FMC. Her outside-the-box thinking led to the new Compassionate Companions program: from its concept and development to recruitment. Now, no one at FMC has to face the end of life alone. Her dedication to improvement and providing the best possible care to patients shine through every aspect of Compassionate Companions.
- Diane Allie, director of Surgical Services at Flagstaff Medical Center, was honored for the value of Do amazing work.
Allie has been with NAH for only seven months, but in that time she has taken on two extra departments: The NAH Orthopedic Surgery Center and Cath Lab and worked endless hours, including nights and weekends. Her achievements include reducing the number of travelers, mentoring and coaching to reduce the Immediate-Use Steam Sterilization, or IUSS, rate and advocating for an Informatics nurse who is a valuable asset to the departments. Allie has helped negotiate contracts, revised the vendor policy, revamped the staff schedule and restructured the leadership team to include specialty leaders and charge nurses. She also finished her fellowship and is now certified by the American College of Healthcare Executives. All these accomplishments speak to her outstanding professionalism and amazing work ethic.
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