We applaud all who were nominated. You can read about the most recent winners below. Each awardee receives an Amazon gift card.
If you would like to nominate someone for an Above and Beyond Award please complete this form and provide specific details or examples about the person you are nominating. Explain why they are exceptional in the work they do and so worthy of this recognition.
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Rachel Watson, Health Information Assistant — “I've lost count of the number of times that ‘Rachel from the Reading Room’ has brought a smile to my face while simultaneously ensuring that our patients are properly diagnosed, efficiently managed, and cared for in a compassionate manner. Her grace and skill in connecting the campuses, and the outpatient and inpatient worlds, especially in times of crisis and urgency, is unparalleled. Today marks yet another moment I find myself grateful for her patience, sense of humor, and kindness. Thank you, Rachel from the Reading Room. Keep being you.” - Dr. Scott Hammer |
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Becky Clairmont, Environmental Services Associate — “Becky is our EVS team member here in the Cancer Center. In addition to keeping our beautiful space clean and safe, Becky is frequently found checking in with our patients, offering snacks, drinks, and warm blankets. She goes above and beyond in the best way...helping our patients to feel as comfortable and welcome as possible. She is an invaluable member of our team!” - Kim Holston |
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Michelle Devern, Nurse Practitioner — “I would like to nominate Michelle Devern, NP-C, from Harrington Primary Care for the ‘Above and Beyond Award.’ Excellence and perseverance are the words that describe Michelle's way of practicing medicine. Not only is she a brilliant clinician who cares about her patients but also a hard-working colleague setting the example. Being proficient in Epic and ACO measures, she performs wonderfully herself and at the same time she teaches others and helps them succeed. Michelle helped me a lot during my first months at Bayhealth. Her support and guidance were invaluable. If anyone deserves the ‘Above and Beyond Award’ it is definitely Michelle.” - Dr. Svetlana Polishchuk |
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Dr. Wendy Newell, Surgeon — “Dr. Wendy Newell amazingly took one of my patients directly from my office to her office to treat a very painful thrombosed hemorrhoid. Her graciousness to interrupt her schedule to allow this patient to come in offered my patient tremendous relief of a very painful and scary event. She practices medicine the way it should be always: patients come first.” - Dr. Marisa Conti |
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Emily Zacek, Radiology Assistant — “Emily goes above and beyond in her role as a radiology assistant. She ensures that rooms are ready for patients’ arrival and all supplies are available. Always with a positive attitude and a friendly smile. She is compassionate to patients as well, offering a kind word and a warm blanket. Recently I witnessed her truly going above and beyond. The department was very busy, and a patient who did not speak English was waiting to go back to her room. Emily took the time to speak to a family member on the phone to assist in translating the patient's request. This took some time and some back and forth on the phone with the family member. Emily did this with patience and compassion. She then took the time to call the patient's nurse to relay what the patient needed (something to do with wearing her own clothing). Emily deserves this recognition!” - Jackie Talamantes |
| Louis Gasperetti, Social Worker — “I nominate Louis Gasperetti for the 'Above and Beyond Award' as Louis is the epitome of above and beyond. Louis works so hard for his patients and their outcomes. Louis knows every resource and obstacle he faces for each patient, and he does not quit until the job is done. I am so grateful for Louis and how resourceful, hardworking, and kind he is with each interaction. When Louis answers his phone, you know he will either have an answer or will work to find one. There is no quit in this man, and we are blessed to have Louis on our team! You are outstanding, my friend!!” - Melissa Bailey |
| Analiza Kreider, Food Service Supervisor — “Analiza works so hard and goes above and beyond every day to ensure that each patient has what they need from food services. There are countless times when Analiza answers my call of a dietary need for a patient, and she responds so quickly to bring to the floor whatever the patient needs. Analiza always does her work with a smile on her face and a positive attitude, never complaining about how overworked or exhausted she may be. Analiza pushes on and gets the job done. Analiza is a prime example of the pride and integrity someone puts into their work, and she is an outstanding employee of Bayhealth. Analiza, you are a wonderful person, coworker, and team player, and we are blessed that you are part of our team!” - Melissa Bailey |
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Dr. Michel Bartel, Gastroenterologist — “Dr. Bartel came in last night at midnight to help with a difficult case. He saved the patient an operation. He also came in last week in the evening for us. He is always pleasant and willing to help. Great having a talented doctor at Bayhealth to help out.” - Dr. Thomas Barnett |
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Karen Mika, Clinical Coordinator on 5A at Sussex Campus — “I nominate Karen Mika, RN. I have known Karen for many years and every time I see her, she’s doing something above and beyond for somebody else. She deserves this from the bottom of my heart.” - Dr. Michel Samaha |
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Kiwana Lecompte, Scheduler — “Kiwana Lecompte has been a scheduler at Surgical Associates for 13 years. She goes above and beyond to be sure every patient is scheduled in a timely fashion. She is able to put the patients at ease with her confidence and explanations. She is amazing at making sure all clearances are taken care of in a timely fashion. As a single grandmother raising two young children she is an inspiration to all.” - Dr. Thomas Barnett |
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Dr. Amanda Nguyen, Internal Medicine Resident — “I would like to nominate Dr. Amanda Nguyen for her hard work, efforts, and going above and beyond the call of duty to help take care of patients in the ICU during her rotation in September 2022. She was extremely supportive in helping me, her peers, and the nurse to care for some very critical ill patients when I cover the unit the last week of the month.” - Dr. Danner |
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Morgan Carter, Surgical Technologist — “On September 24, I was on call at Sussex hospital and a patient fractured her hip and required a hip replacement. I perform the anterior approach that requires a special table and an additional person to maneuver the table during surgery. Unfortunately, during the weekends, we do not have an additional OR staff member to manage the table. I reached out to Morgan who voluntarily came in on her weekend day off to help the patient receive her surgery. I would like to recognize Morgan for going above and beyond.” - Dr. Trinity Pilkington |
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Terri Rhodes-Williams, Social Worker — “Terri is an amazing human being and is such a huge gift to Bayhealth. She goes above and beyond on every single shift. We frequently have incredibly difficult social cases, which is a little overwhelming at times, but Terri is incredibly compassionate with each of her patients, and she provides them with the best care and resources. It is (selfishly for us) always such a joy when we know Terri is working with us that day. :) We don't know what we would do without her.” - Dr. Reena Thomas |
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Barbara Bunting, Food Services, Sussex Campus — “Barbara Bunting is the type of individual who embodies the spirit and values of Bayhealth. Her service to this organization goes well beyond preparing food for the employees and patients. She knows the food preferences of EVERYONE at the Sussex campus and she caters and connects to needs that extend well being providing mere sustenance. Her warmth and compassion is fresh and served up hot every day. She is family to all she comes in contact with and during the challenges of the past few years, has been a constant source of joy and inspiration when staff come to the cafeteria looking for a quick reprieve from the chaos. It is team members like Barb that make Bayhealth a home!” — Joshua Smith, Rehab Services, Sussex Campus |
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Chris Murphy, Medical Infusions — “Chris is an exceptional nurse that cares deeply for her patients. A perfect example is a patient that comes daily for hydration. He is cachexic and would benefit from TPN. However, his insurance will not approve this. Chris has spent countless hours speaking with his insurance companies, doctors, social workers, and others, in an attempt to get him this much needed treatment. The patient brought in his financial information, that was needed to apply for assistance, and Chris assisted him with calls to submit this information. He would also benefit from home health as he has a seizure disorder and is unable to drive. His insurance will not allow this without a hefty copay. Chris continues to work with his doctors to obtain the labs that would be needed to have him accepted into home health. This is only one example of how Chris goes above and beyond every day.” — Gina Collins, Medical Infusions |
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Dr. Christopher Kennel, Bayhealth ENT — “Kudos to Dr. Kennel in ENT for going above and beyond to improve patient care and outcome. Earlier this month, there was a patient at Sussex ER that had a GLF and sustained significant facial lacerations involving her upper and lower lips. Dr. Kennel was on call at the Kent Campus and home in Wilmington. Instead of transferring the patient to Kent he elected to come to the Sussex ER to avoid the patient transfer. His compassion for the patient and willingness to do what would ultimately benefit the patient was a welcomed expression of flexibility and teamwork.” — Malcom Owens, Emergency Physician Assistant |
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Monica Morris, Care Management — “The RN Care Managers were short staffed during COVID, and our team, like so many were dealt a heavy hand with staffing call outs due to COVID exposures and other personal family emergencies. I would like to nominate Monica because she approached me and offered to give up her Days off and PTO in order to keep our Department afloat. She literally worked almost every day for the last 2.5 years with a pleasant demeanor and an attitude always reflective of Bayhealth's values. She assisted with covering other roles (ED) and became cross trained as a DC planner, always reaching out to her peers and colleagues to see in what ways she could help. As a result, we were able to ensure adequate coverage in a seamless manner that expedited patient throughput and promoted better patient outcomes.” — Denise Engelsen, Care Management |
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Elizabeth "Liz" Westmoreland, Food Services, Kent Campus — “People such as Elizabeth “Liz” Westmoreland are often looked over for the vital help they brought to our staff and visitors during the pandemic. Liz worked 12-16-hour days, for weeks on end, without a break, to ensure people had the food and drink to keep going. While her mother passed away on CVSICU, she was in the café helping others and was at work the next day. That is the definition of resilience and the type of dedication she has to Bayhealth and our community. She offers a smile, knows people’s orders, and ensures everyone who comes to her counter walks away a little better. Ask everyone from the Kent OR staff to EVS and they will have a story of how Liz has made their day a little brighter during even the darkest times. She is what we need to celebrate for making the world a better place.” — Carrie Hart, Volunteer Services |
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Sara Noll, 6B, Physical Therapy — “Sara is the epitome of above and beyond work here at Bayhealth. She takes her job very seriously and is truly passionate about what she does. Not only does she focus on the physical needs of her patients, but she takes the time to seek out their psychosocial needs as well. She is an active listener, an empathetic conversationalist, and a strong advocate for her patients. She addresses concerns without being dismissive and follows up with the interdisciplinary team to ensure that their concerns are addressed. She is an avid learner and seeks to grow in knowledge and understanding, asking many questions. She is professional, disciplined, excellent with what she does, and holds phenomenal rapport with every patient and family member she encounters. She truly loves what she does, and it shows in her exemplary work. I am honored to work with such a skilled and compassionate person!” — Nominated by Rachel Winston, RN on 6B |
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Elizabeth Hurley, Respiratory Therapy Navigator — “Elizabeth Hurley is the most caring and dedicated person. She is the Respiratory Navigator for the Sussex Campus. She devotes her time and efforts in the overall care of her pulmonary patients. She consistently goes above and beyond in so many ways. She gives 100% of her time and effort to everything that she does. When she encounters a need that her patients have, she seeks out all resources to get their needs fulfilled. For example, Elizabeth realized the extreme need for CPAP machines for many of her patients for home use. With an extensive backorder of these machine, they were not available. She jumped into action and placed an advertisement through Bayhealth Marketing to request donations of CPAP machines. It was a success and she was able to provide many patients with a CPAP machine. She is a true HERO!! She always saves the day!!!" — Nominated by a former colleague
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Theresa Latorre-Tegtmeier, Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner — “Working with Terry is always a refreshing. Watching her care for our palliative patients, their family members and friends is awe inspiring. She will literally listen to a family story and create goals of care that not only meets the patient's medical needs but also addresses the emotional and spiritual needs of the entire family. You can almost see her wheels turning when she is at the bedside. She considers every appropriate specialty and service available to each patient and she takes the time to explain them. She almost always make the connection before exiting the room, leaving the patient with one less worry. I have seen her walk into a room where everyone was crying and by the time she left there were smiles all around with comfort and hope in every eye. She is a daily inspiration for us all.”
— Nominated by Rev. Carol Harris, Bayhealth Supervisor of Pastoral Care and Chaplaincy Services
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Cheryl Lewis, 4A Nursing Assistant/Unit Secretary — “Cheryl is a life-long care giver, and extraordinary human being. An example: a patient had no friends or family, and needed placement. Cheryl bought him clothes and shoes that he wore proudly! She did things family would do, like bringing in home made soup when she made extra. Finally, he was discharged to a long term care facility. Cheryl waited until he got settled in, and then continued to be his one and only visitor. Without anyone to be his contact person, Cheryl agreed they could call her if something was needed. Their friendship continued until the day the nurses station called Cheryl to share the news of his passing. Cheryl shared his passing with me today. We both shed a tear or two, but for different reasons. She was mourning the loss of a friend; my tears were because I was in awe of Cheryl's deep compassion and humanity.”
— Nominated by Verna Sellers, 4A Senior Nurse Manager
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Gayle Myran, Bayhealth Occupational Health — “Gayle is truly an inspiration and gift to the Bayhealth community. Every single day she goes above and beyond for not only her patients but for her staff as well. We all know that as a charge nurse she holds many different responsibilities and wears many different hats— from charge nurse to CPR instructor—but every day she shows up to work positive and ready to tackle the day. She comes in early, stays late and always makes sure her staff is equipped with what we need whether it be supplies or support. Any given day you can find Gayle on the floor knees deep with the rest of us making sure all our patients are well taken care of. Dover Occ Health would not be the same without Gayle!!!”
— Nominated by Ashley McCormick, Occupational Health
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Judith Shirey, Finance — “According to Finance Vice President Mary Finn, Judy is a tireless contributor to the Finance team and is always willing to pitch in wherever she is needed. She will stay late, come in early or on the weekends when needed to meet or exceed deadlines and looks for practical approaches to improve the department’s performance. Judy willingly accepts assignments, shares her knowledge and is a valued resource within and outside the department. Judy may not be direct patient care, but she helps contributes to the financial success of the organization which allows us to continue to meet our mission. She is passionate about what she does and is also a great teammate. I appreciate the service-oriented approach that Judy demonstrates to all members of Bayhealth.”
— Nominated by Mike Tretina, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
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Trisha Bentley, Women's Breast Care Coordinator — “Trish Bentley, Women’s Breast care Coordinator, is an exceptional and an amazingly compassionate individual. A perfect example of Ms. Bentley’s actions is the way she takes personal pride in each patient. Speaking about her own experience and listening to what each patient is going through she is there for them. Recently, I witnessed this when a family member of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer. Trish helped with concerns by listening tentatively, as well as getting her in touch with the right support to help her financially. She is truly an asset to Bayhealth Women’s Center. Trish comforted my sister and gave her the peace of mind and answered all questions with honesty and understanding. We are very thankful that she was able to comfort with such heartfelt compassion. There are not enough words about the experience and interaction we had with Ms. Bentley, she truly is an astounding individual.”
— Nominated by Elizabeth Anne Burke, Food Services Manager
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