Mike Weltge owes the vision in his left eye to his colleague, Carey Ferguson.
Both are mechanics in the Champaign-Urbana Service Area and Ferguson’s quick work and big heart not only helped save his co-worker’s vision, it earned Ferguson the Carle Health 2023 Annual Way to Be! Values Award for exhibiting the Value of Compassion.
Way to Be! is the Carle Health peer-to-peer program that recognizes team members across the enterprise who live the Carle Health Values of Accountability, Compassion, Excellence, Inclusivity and Integrity. These Values are foundational to the Carle Health culture.
Team members nominate co-workers for quarterly recognitions. During 2023, Carle Experience received 24,641 quarterly Way to Be! submissions, Dana Meek, Carle Experience manager, said.
Quarterly winners, representing each Value, as well as a Carle Health Leader, are chosen by the Carle Health Reward and Recognition Committee. From the quarterly winners, one nominee from each Value is selected by the committee as a finalist for the Annual Way to Be! winner. Carle Health team members vote for the Annual Way to Be! winner from among those nominees. Separately, the Carle Health Leader Way to Be! winner and the inaugural Team Way to Be! winner are selected by the Reward and Recognition Committee.
The 2023 Way to Be! winners are:
Ferguson’s story
One day last fall, Weltge was having trouble seeing out of his left eye. When a Carle Health provider diagnosed him with a detached retina and advised him to see a surgeon within 24 hours, or he could lose vision in that eye, Ferguson volunteered and drove Weltge to Chicago. It was the only available location for an evaluation that day.
The two ended up staying in Chicago for two days while Weltge had surgery, which was a success. Weltge, while still recovering, can see clearly through his left eye.
“If it hadn’t been for Carey driving me that day, I’d be blind in my left eye,” Weltge said. “He was a reassuring presence that day. He said, ‘Don’t worry. We’ll get you there in plenty of time.’”
“This is what everyone has come to expect from Carey,” Mark Bales, regional manager, Facilities, Champaign-Urbana, said. “He’s a big-hearted guy.” Bales nominated Ferguson for the award.
“This is what we do as a regional crew,” Ferguson said. “We help each other out.”
“I am honored,” Carey said of the Way to Be! recognition. “I just treat people how I’d like to be treated.”
Parrish’s story
Parrish is a manager in Human Resources for the MyHR Help Desk, and she’s responsible for fielding all kinds of questions from Carle Health team members.
In doing so, she considers what’s best for team members and provides feedback to her team, others in HR and to her internal communications colleagues to improve team members’ experiences. That, in turn, improves patients’ experiences. And it’s why she has earned the Carle Health 2023 Annual Way to Be! Leader Award.
In nominating Parrish for the award, Amy Roady, corporate communications partner, wrote “Kim’s actions speak volumes for the many ways she exemplifies our Values. It’s in the everyday moments that she makes a difference for those who depend on her. We often talk about being an advocate for patients. Kim is a strong advocate for our team members. She improves their experience so they can improve our patients’ experience. In that way, she is helping Carle Health achieve its mission and vision while living our Values.”
Parrish said, “I feel honored to be recognized with this award. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this organization, my peers and mentors, and most importantly, my team. It reaffirms my commitment to leading by example and serving those around me.”
Medical Oncology Specialty Unit’s story
Sometimes, a warm welcome can calm nerves and even lead to a rewarding career.
A warm welcome and a positive impression is what Illinois State University Mennonite College of Nursing (ISU MCN) students received when they experienced the Medical Oncology Specialty Unit at Carle BroMenn Medical Center, Normal. It’s the reason that unit earned the Carle Health 2023 Annual Way to Be! Team Award.
Crystal Bricker, RN supervisor, Carle BroMenn Medical Center surgery administration, also a clinical faculty instructor for ISU MCN, nominated the Medical Oncology Specialty Unit for the award. She wrote that for two weekends, she brought ISU MCN students to the unit to begin their Adult II nursing clinical experience.
“While it can be overwhelming when eight students come to the unit at once, the staff was welcoming and embraced having them on the unit,” Bricker said. “Each of my two sections walked away from that first on-unit clinical day with positive feelings and experiences that helped to build some confidence in things they were nervous about.
“As an employee of Carle, I brag to the students about our culture, which makes Carle a great place to work,” Bricker said. “It is experiences like this that prove to the students what I say is true. Keep up the good work! You just might inspire the students to join us as colleagues in a year.”
Melissa Tull, nurse manager for medical-oncology specialty unit and Pediatrics/outpatient infusion, said “Immense pride was felt when hearing our team was receiving this recognition. MOSU (Medical Oncology Specialty Unit) can be a challenging unit, and the team has worked diligently to improve the department’s culture, team dynamics and workflows. This is an excellent representation of their hard work.”
Carle Health embeds its Values and behavior standards into the care and support we provide teammates and those we serve as we remain committed to being a trusted healthcare partner for the community.
If Carle Health sounds like an organization where you’d like to work, click here.
Both are mechanics in the Champaign-Urbana Service Area and Ferguson’s quick work and big heart not only helped save his co-worker’s vision, it earned Ferguson the Carle Health 2023 Annual Way to Be! Values Award for exhibiting the Value of Compassion.
Way to Be! is the Carle Health peer-to-peer program that recognizes team members across the enterprise who live the Carle Health Values of Accountability, Compassion, Excellence, Inclusivity and Integrity. These Values are foundational to the Carle Health culture.
Team members nominate co-workers for quarterly recognitions. During 2023, Carle Experience received 24,641 quarterly Way to Be! submissions, Dana Meek, Carle Experience manager, said.
Quarterly winners, representing each Value, as well as a Carle Health Leader, are chosen by the Carle Health Reward and Recognition Committee. From the quarterly winners, one nominee from each Value is selected by the committee as a finalist for the Annual Way to Be! winner. Carle Health team members vote for the Annual Way to Be! winner from among those nominees. Separately, the Carle Health Leader Way to Be! winner and the inaugural Team Way to Be! winner are selected by the Reward and Recognition Committee.
The 2023 Way to Be! winners are:
- Values Award: Carey Ferguson, regional mechanic, Facilities, Champaign-Urbana.
- Leader Award: Kim Parrish, manager, Human Resources – MyHR Help Desk, Carle Health system.
- Team Award: Medical Oncology Specialty Unit, Carle BroMenn Medical Center, Normal
Ferguson’s story
One day last fall, Weltge was having trouble seeing out of his left eye. When a Carle Health provider diagnosed him with a detached retina and advised him to see a surgeon within 24 hours, or he could lose vision in that eye, Ferguson volunteered and drove Weltge to Chicago. It was the only available location for an evaluation that day.
The two ended up staying in Chicago for two days while Weltge had surgery, which was a success. Weltge, while still recovering, can see clearly through his left eye.
“If it hadn’t been for Carey driving me that day, I’d be blind in my left eye,” Weltge said. “He was a reassuring presence that day. He said, ‘Don’t worry. We’ll get you there in plenty of time.’”
“This is what everyone has come to expect from Carey,” Mark Bales, regional manager, Facilities, Champaign-Urbana, said. “He’s a big-hearted guy.” Bales nominated Ferguson for the award.
“This is what we do as a regional crew,” Ferguson said. “We help each other out.”
“I am honored,” Carey said of the Way to Be! recognition. “I just treat people how I’d like to be treated.”
Parrish’s story
Parrish is a manager in Human Resources for the MyHR Help Desk, and she’s responsible for fielding all kinds of questions from Carle Health team members.
In doing so, she considers what’s best for team members and provides feedback to her team, others in HR and to her internal communications colleagues to improve team members’ experiences. That, in turn, improves patients’ experiences. And it’s why she has earned the Carle Health 2023 Annual Way to Be! Leader Award.
In nominating Parrish for the award, Amy Roady, corporate communications partner, wrote “Kim’s actions speak volumes for the many ways she exemplifies our Values. It’s in the everyday moments that she makes a difference for those who depend on her. We often talk about being an advocate for patients. Kim is a strong advocate for our team members. She improves their experience so they can improve our patients’ experience. In that way, she is helping Carle Health achieve its mission and vision while living our Values.”
Parrish said, “I feel honored to be recognized with this award. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this organization, my peers and mentors, and most importantly, my team. It reaffirms my commitment to leading by example and serving those around me.”
Medical Oncology Specialty Unit’s story
Sometimes, a warm welcome can calm nerves and even lead to a rewarding career.
A warm welcome and a positive impression is what Illinois State University Mennonite College of Nursing (ISU MCN) students received when they experienced the Medical Oncology Specialty Unit at Carle BroMenn Medical Center, Normal. It’s the reason that unit earned the Carle Health 2023 Annual Way to Be! Team Award.
Crystal Bricker, RN supervisor, Carle BroMenn Medical Center surgery administration, also a clinical faculty instructor for ISU MCN, nominated the Medical Oncology Specialty Unit for the award. She wrote that for two weekends, she brought ISU MCN students to the unit to begin their Adult II nursing clinical experience.
“While it can be overwhelming when eight students come to the unit at once, the staff was welcoming and embraced having them on the unit,” Bricker said. “Each of my two sections walked away from that first on-unit clinical day with positive feelings and experiences that helped to build some confidence in things they were nervous about.
“As an employee of Carle, I brag to the students about our culture, which makes Carle a great place to work,” Bricker said. “It is experiences like this that prove to the students what I say is true. Keep up the good work! You just might inspire the students to join us as colleagues in a year.”
Melissa Tull, nurse manager for medical-oncology specialty unit and Pediatrics/outpatient infusion, said “Immense pride was felt when hearing our team was receiving this recognition. MOSU (Medical Oncology Specialty Unit) can be a challenging unit, and the team has worked diligently to improve the department’s culture, team dynamics and workflows. This is an excellent representation of their hard work.”
Carle Health embeds its Values and behavior standards into the care and support we provide teammates and those we serve as we remain committed to being a trusted healthcare partner for the community.
If Carle Health sounds like an organization where you’d like to work, click here.
Categories: Culture of Quality
Tags: awards, healthcare, recognition, team, values