Pictured, left to right, are: Beecher Hunter, Life Care president; Herlinda Cartagena, certified nursing assistant at Life Care Center of Plano, Tx.; Marie Brantley, CNA at Heritage Health Care Center in Globe, Az.; Allen Phillips, CNA at Life Care Center of Pueblo, Co.; RJ Jones, physical therapy assistant at Life Care Center of Jacksonville, Fl.; Tyrone Bryant, maintenance director at Life Care Center of Hilton Head, SC; Joe Leal, nurse at Life Care Center of Treasure Valley in Boise, Id.; Tammi Conner, marketing director at Life Care Center of Osawatomie, Ks.; and Connie Costa, activities assistant at Life Care Center of Raynham, Ma.
Life Care Centers of America announced its annual Whatever It Takes And Then Some Award winners for customer service on Aug. 29.
The awards are presented to one associate from each of Life Care’s divisions. Executives present each winner with a $1,000 cash prize and share the stories behind their acts of exceptional caring. Winners are honored during a session of Life Care’s Annual Management Meeting at the company’s headquarters in Cleveland.
“Customer service is Life Care’s reason for being,” said Beecher Hunter, Life Care president. “Our company is blessed with associates who view their work as a life’s calling, and they are extraordinary practitioners of a heartfelt commitment to always act in the best interest of our residents. The eight individuals we are honoring this year with our Whatever It Takes And Then Some awards represent thousands of others like them. I am always inspired and humbled to be in their presence and see and sense their devotion to serving people.”
The winners were:
• Tammi Conner, marketing director at Life Care Center of Osawatomie, Ks., for the Central Division, who has taken in former patients to her own home and worked with her church to furnish an apartment for a patient to move into after rehabilitation.
• Tyrone Bryant, maintenance director at Life Care Center of Hilton Head, SC, for the Eastern Division, who helped the facility evacuate for Hurricane Irma and provided extra support even while his daughter was in the hospital.
• Herlinda Cartagena, certified nursing assistant at Life Care Center of Plano, Tx., for the Gulf States Region, who volunteered to help with the facility’s Thanksgiving dinner not only by helping serve during the event but also showing up early to decorate and staying late to help residents get ready for bed after the dinner.
• Allen Phillips, certified nursing assistant at Life Care Center of Pueblo, Co., for the Mountain States Division, who took care of a short-term patient’s service dog during the patient’s stay at the facility and brought the dog to visit on his days off.
• Connie Costa, activities assistant at Life Care Center of Raynham, Ma., for the Northeast Division, who prepares special foods to celebrate holidays, brings in fresh vegetables and herbs from her garden and leads the center’s Portuguese Club.
• Joe Leal, nurse at Life Care Center of Treasure Valley in Boise, Id., for the Northwest Division, who escorted a resident to the facility’s Snowflake Ball, got all dressed up and provided her with a corsage.
• RJ Jones, physical therapist assistant at Life Care Center of Jacksonville, Fl., for the Southeast Division, who bought a new bicycle for an associate whose bike broke down and who otherwise had to walk to work.
• Marie Brantley, certified nursing assistant at Heritage Health Care Center in Globe, Az., for the Southwest Division, who came in during her vacation to hold the hand of a dying resident who didn’t have family to be with her.
Life Care Centers of America’s Whatever It Takes And Then Some program rewards associates for their extraordinary acts of kindness. Monthly awards are presented in Life Care facilities nationwide based on nominations from fellow associates, family members, residents and guests. Each facility then chooses an annual winner, from which the divisional winners are selected.