Marisa Cummings named ALMH Employee of the Year

[December 11, 2008]  Marisa Cummings, a certified nursing assistant, was elated when she was recently named the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Employee of the Year.

"It was very emotional," Cummings said of the announcement, which was made at ALMH's annual holiday party. "It was very touching to me. I was honored. I had some good competition, great workers."

Marisa began her ALMH career on the medical-surgical floor in July 2006. Previously she worked at Christian Nursing Home and was a mental health technician at Lincoln Developmental Center.

She recently agreed to work every other Friday to fill in for a Care-a-Van driver, helping make sure wheelchair-bound patients and those without transportation get to necessary medical appointments. She has also been studying to become EMT-certified and will take the exam in January.

"Marisa goes the extra mile for her patients and always has a smile," says Vicki Tolan, assistant director of nursing. "She is a great team player and often helps other departments when they need an extra pair of hands. She is a great asset to ALMH."

Cummings believes that making her patients smile and feel more comfortable is her greatest accomplishment. She enjoys helping others, and she says patient care is always her No. 1 goal.

During Nursing Week, fellow nurses honored Cummings with the "Unsung Hero" award for her caring nature and hard work. The award is given to nurses who consistently go above and beyond their job.

Dolan Dalpoas, president and CEO of ALMH, says being recognized by peers for doing good work is one of the highest honors an employee can receive.

"Marisa Cummings not only does good work, but she does so in a fashion that makes you proud, which is one reason why Marissa was named the 2008 Employee of the Year for ALMH," he says. "She is a considerate and thoughtful individual who always puts the patients' needs above everything else and without hesitation is always willing to lend a helping hand to her co-workers. People like Marissa are the key reason why ALMH is such a great place to work."  

ALMH recognizes an outstanding employee each month who is singled out for his or her commitment to creating great patient experiences, getting great results and making ALMH a great place to work. The ALMH Employee of the Year is selected from among the monthly honorees.

Other candidates were Alexis Leesman, administration; Melanie Goodgion, purchasing; David Miller, emergency department; Debbie Ackerman, surgery; Kay Kohler, laboratory; Leslee Moore, environmental services; Sherrie Carlin, laboratory; Steve Tanner, plant operations; Sue Roberts, nutrition services; Talona Marten, laboratory; Holly Woodall, pharmacy; and Kristen Fulton, physical therapy.

[Text from file received from Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital]