It was
another busy morning on the surgery and oncology floor at UnityPoint Health -
St. Luke’s.
Just as Anne
Pithan, lead clinical practice expert, was washing her hands at the nurse’s station,
several staff members and senior leaders surrounded the central hub to surprise
Pithan with an award.
Not knowing
what was going on, Pithan slowly joined the crowd and waited to see what was
happening.
Then, St.
Luke’s President and CEO, Lynn Wold, held up a plaque with her name on it for St.
Luke’s Employee of the Month.
“What?”
Pithan exclaimed. “I thought I was just about to be a part of a really great
brainstorming session.”
The only one
in the room shocked to see Pithan named Employee of the Month was Pithan
herself. In fact, the Employee of the
Month Committee received stacks of nomination forms for Pithan.
“Anne has
been highly recommended by her staff,” says Priscilla Stokes, St. Luke’s Vice President
of Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer.
“She always has a pleasant smile, willing hands and an open heart. Her
knowledge of nursing practice is excellent and she is a natural teacher to
novice and experienced nurses.”
In addition
to her friendly smile that was mentioned repeatedly on the comments, there were
also several words that kept reoccurring on multiple nomination forms: helpful, flexible, friendly, cheerful, positive
and knowledgeable.
“She makes
the floor a more enjoyable place to work. She has a contagious smile that makes
everyone’s day better. She cares!” says fellow nurse Shelli Van Roekel.
As the St.
Luke’s Employee of the Month for February, Pithan received a special watch from
Greenberg’s Jewelers, her own premium
parking space, gift cards to the St.
Luke’s Glass Apple Gift Shop, The Parkview Café and a gift certificate to
be used at an area restaurant. She will also have the chance to be voted as St.
Luke’s Employee of the Year for 2016. That comes with a paid vacation.
All of gifts
took some convincing for Pithan to accept as she kept humbly saying “no, I
don’t deserve this, they do” while pointing to fellow staff members during the
award ceremony.
“I love the
people that I work with,” says Pithan. “My fellow co-workers are what make my
job so great!”
View video here.