In the past few months, PAH experienced the loss of three employees whose legacies live on through recollections of their colleagues.
Carmen Valls
Carmen Valls
Everyone would know when Carmen Valls would be walking toward a room by the sound of her high heels clicking against the floor.
“You could always hear Carmen coming from her heels. We all miss hearing that,’ said Patty Inacker DSW, MBA, LCSW, Behavioral Health Service Line administrator.
Valls, who passed away November 1, was an outpatient therapist at Hall-Mercer Community Mental Health Center. For nearly 20 years, she made it her mission to help patients discover their best selves, devoting her time and energy into her therapy sessions.
“If a patient needed her, she wanted to be there to support them,” said Inacker. “She had great connections with her patients and wanted the best for them.”
A native of Buffalo, New York, Valls originally trained as a nurse, eventually going back to school to achieve her Master’s Degree in Social Work at the University of Buffalo.
One of six siblings, Valls maintained close connections with her family, even after moving to Philadelphia to begin her job at Hall-Mercer. She had even recently accompanied her sister to record music together, with her sister on vocals and Valls playing the violin. Playing the instrument since a young age, Valls was an aspiring violinist and practiced in her spare time.
Along with a passion for music, she was known for her love of books, often sharing knowledge she acquired from reading with those around her.
“We have a lot of trainees and residents here, and Carmen was always happy to share her social work expertise with them, along with what she learned from practicing Buddhism. She was a very spiritual person,” said Inacker. “She was an important member of our community and we’ll miss her friendly and caring presence.”
Lauren Haye
Lauren Haye
Described as a bright light in her department, Lauren Haye, WHNP-BC, MSN, RNC-OB, a nurse practitioner in Women’s Health, always knew how to cheer up her patients and serve as a trusted colleague, and thoughtful friend, to her team.
Haye, who passed away November 8 after an 18-month battle with colon cancer, worked at PAH since 2002, assisting with postpartum patients and preparing them for discharge to return home after birth.
“She connected with her patients on a deeper level,” said Melissa Dunlop, PA-C, MBA, director of Advanced Practice Providers. “She usually had them laughing by the end of their visit together.”
Haye arrived to work each day exuding positive energy, and was known for her “unmatched, enthusiastic energy” and sense of humor that helped her team get through the tough times of the COVID-19 pandemic, even as she experienced her own medical battles. She had the mindset to put her patients and team first, even stepping in on her days off to support the department.
A wife and mother of two boys, Haye would express how PAH was also part of her family. Her husband John expressed how important PAH was to them and how much she loved her team.
“You could see how much her team loved her in return. They would go up to her and hold her hand throughout the day,” said Dunlop. “She was a kind, loving coworker and friend to all.”
Shirley White
Shirley White (right) with welcome desk ambassador Donna Fragala (left).
As a welcome desk volunteer, Shirley White truly made patients, staff, and visitors feel welcomed at PAH. White, who passed away at age 99 in October, served as a volunteer at PAH for more than 30 years. While she concluded her volunteer role at age 96, that didn’t stop her close relationships with the people she worked with.
“Even after volunteering, we would meet with Shirley for lunch or dinner and our staff would call and check in with her,” said Eileen B. Murphy, MSL, director of Patient & Guest Relations and Volunteer Services. “She was such an important part of our team.”
Her kind presence impacted everyone she met at the hospital, even individuals she met on the way to her shift. As she got older, and walking became a challenge, her bus driver would stop in front of her apartment and wait for her, rather than having her walk to a bus stop.
While she already wore one of the jackets inscribed with “volunteer” on the fabric, the PAH ambassadors gifted her a red fleece jacket as an honorary member of their team.
“I had the pleasure of knowing Shirley since 2004, and from the moment we met, I knew we would be friends for life,” said Donna Fragala, a welcome desk ambassador. “Her charming personality and compassion for others will always be remembered.”
A mother to 4 children, with 8 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren, White treated her team at PAH just like her own family members, known for bringing thoughtful gifts to her team members. Murphy recalled White once giving her a jacket because she saw it on sale while shopping and thought Murphy would like it. In return, staff would often stop by the cafeteria to pick up oatmeal – one of her favorite snacks served at PAH – and drop it off at the welcome desk for White.
“We also had a big party to celebrate her 90th birthday,” said Murphy. “We wanted her to feel special because she made everyone else feel so special and appreciated at PAH.”