At Memorial Hospital, our top priority is the safety of our patients. Our mission is to ensure their well-being through the best safety practices. Every one of our employees dedicates themselves to ensuring the best safety practices possible to reduce harm and improve patient outcomes.
Memorial recognized Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 9-15, by recognizing patient safety advocates throughout the organization who were nominated by their co-workers.
During Patient Safety Awareness Week, employees nominated coworkers in recognition of their outstanding efforts as safety advocates at Memorial Hospital. Those nominated were Heather Williamson and Kathy Winkler.
Heather Williamson, RT(R)(M)(CT)(MR) – Diagnostic Imaging Department
“Being an MRI tech requires much more than operating the machine and achieving quality images. The number one priority is patient safety. Heather takes the role very seriously and is very well versed in keeping her MRI patients safe. She must thoroughly screen every patient getting a scan. If the patient has an implantable device, she can sometimes spend hours making sure the device is compatible and safe for the patient. She deserves to be recognized for the behind the scenes and daily safety of her MRI patients.”
“As the lead MRI and lead CT technologist, Heather is knowledgeable in her field and provides good patient care. She goes above and beyond to meet the demands of many modality environments (x-ray, mammography, CT and MRI) and offers feedback for best practices for physicians and staff who value her input. She serves as a mentor to newer x-ray technologists. She commonly receives positive feedback from patients for her exceptional care and goes to great measures to provide comfort during their exam. She stays on top of regulatory and physicist safety and imaging standards. As a result, imaging techniques, protocols, and workflows are improved to provide good quality and safe patient care to the community.”
Kathey Winkler, RPh, Director of Pharmacy – Pharmacy Department
“Kathy has been instrumental in the medication safety and patient safety programs at Memorial. She makes safety a top priority in approaching any project no matter how big or small, or how much she has on her plate; she gives her time and shows the utmost dedication as an employee. She is excellent at analyzing each aspect of the situation to find the safest and most practical solution. She participates in multiple committees and is always willing to collaborate with others or take on projects to expand and improve services to the patients, improve processes for staff, and increase safety. All her contributions make a very long list and the value she adds to the organization is tremendous. Her work ethic and conscientious approach to safety is outstanding. She truly does go above and beyond, is a leader and role model for others, and makes the input of others on the team feel valued and appreciated.”
“Kathy is always going out of her way to ensure that a patient has the best education on drugs, and when possible, she assists patients in finding better cost savings so they can afford their medications. I have witnessed her care with patients that need assistance, and she will stop her tasks to be a helping hand to them.”
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all employees and departments for their unwavering commitment to patient safety. Their dedication reflects Memorial Hospital’s longstanding commitment to professional excellence, compassionate care, and service to our patients, community, and each other.