Every month, PPMC staff members who embody Service, Teamwork, Achievement, and Respect, are named Presby STARs. In addition to earning recognition from their colleagues, these outstanding all-stars also receive a certificate from CEO Michele Volpe and a $100 award.
Over the past several months, PPMC’s incredible STAR employees consistently went the extra mile while balancing the extra challenges resulting from the pandemic. For example, Anthony Kayser, RN, was able to coordinate a “field trip” to the helipad for a patient who’d been in the TSICU for over a month so they could watch the Blue Angels fly over the city, while Susan Eluwa, BSN, RN, stepped up as a leader and PPE champion on Cupp 5 East in order to keep her team members safe.
Has your teammate gone above and beyond? Has a patient or caregiver shared a story with you about an amazing staff member? The new Presby STARs nomination process is easier than ever! Just complete the fillable PDF form on the PPMC intranet and send it to Ingrid Doralice in HR.
Amanda Potts, RN, and Maura Kohler, BSN, RN, were also nominated by their peers in recognition of their strength, sensitivity, and extraordinary compassion following a heartbreaking experience. A young woman who was 5 months pregnant was injured in a life-threatening car accident and tragically lost her child. When the patient woke up in the TSICU, Potts and Kohler were there to comfort her as she grieved. The news was devastating, but the nurses were committed to easing her pain however they could. They initiated the hospital’s fetal loss bereavement protocols and contacted all of the necessary staff in order to organize a viewing. After swaddling the baby, they sat with the patient and mourned by her side, ensuring that she knew that she was not alone.
Thank you to all of our STARs for demonstrating such unwavering dedication, empathy, and courage each day. You are an inspiration to your patients, colleagues, and community, and Penn Presbyterian would not be the same without you.
MARCH 2020
- Angelo Defeo, BSN, RN — Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit
- Heather Donofrio, RN — Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit
- Susan Eluwa, BSN, RN — Cupp 5 East
- Jonathan Forkin, OT — Good Shepherd Penn Partners Occupational Therapy
- Stanley McLaurin — Food Services
APRIL 2020
- Kristine Chestnut, MS, BSN, RN, CCDP, AAC, CDRN — Psych Detox Unit
- Nolan Ciemniecki, BSN, RN — Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit
- Anthony Kayser, RN — Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit
- Maura Kohler, BSN, RN & Amanda Potts, RN — Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit
MAY 2020
- Levon Bryant — Distribution Services
- Erin Gullo, BSN, RN — Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit
- Anthony Kayser, RN — Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit
- Lauren Schlegel, RN — Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit
- Jessica Waldman, RN — Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit