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In This Issue:
Making Time for Patients, Nurses and Even Fish
Bob Meade never hesitates to go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure patient comfort, even if it means stepping beyond his job description. For the only HVAC and licensed refrigerator technician working the 3-11 p.m. shift, the demands are many.
Meade’s attention to detail and caring customer service prompted the NICU’s Marianne Metcalfe, RN, nurse manager, Maureen Kehoe, unit coordinator, and Marie Field, RN, nurse educator, to nominate Meade for the Service Hero Award he received this month. “It’s a really nice feeling that co-workers take the time to thank you for doing your job well,” said Meade about receiving the award.
The NICU team recalled one night when Meade came in to repair one of the refrigerators in the NICU. When he checked in for a status report, someone mentioned that Field was having difficulty with the water filter in a fish tank located outside her office. The murky water had her worried about the fate of the NICU’s beloved fish.
Meade volunteered to take a quick peek at the tank and within minutes, he had the filter up and running again. To this day, he still asks about the fish. “Bob has a genuine enthusiasm for his work,” the nominators wrote. “He goes the extra mile without even being asked.”
Metcalfe, Kehoe and Field first met Meade four years ago and he immediately impressed them with his high level of customer service: he listened to their various concerns, consistently responded in a timely fashion and was extremely courteous.
When the NICU was having problems with the refrigerators and freezers used to store breast milk, Meade took the time to evaluate the equipment and discovered that they were not well suited for that use. Meade not only gave them advice on selecting a new model to suit their needs, he also returned to answer the staff questions about storing milk effectively.
“The nurses truly make me feel like a valuable member of their health care team. I realize that doing my job well can have a positive impact on a patient’s stay at BWH,” said Meade.