9 Rock Star Team Members Who Stepped Up During the Pandemic

4.29.2021

9 Rock Star Team Members Who Stepped Up During the Pandemic

Photos contributed

Each quarter, Uteam Members of the Month from the Medical Center, School of Medicine, and University of Virginia Physicians Group (UPG) are recognized for outstanding service to UVA Health and their commitment to our ASPIRE core values: Accountability, Stewardship, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence.

Below are the honorees for January, February, and March 2021. Click a name to jump to the corresponding nomination (and leave a comment below to thank the honorees for their dedication to our patients and each other!). Congratulations team!

School of Medicine

January 2021: James Michael Dellaripa III
February 2021: Summer Lira
March 2021: Robert Hunt Jr.

UPG

January 2021: Tammy Shinaberry
February 2021: Melanie Evans
March 2021: Christian Dice

Medical Center

Brian Cassidy, Respiratory Therapist, Respiratory Therapy
January 2021 Uteam Member of the Month

"Brian has been working tirelessly in the Special Pathogens Unit (SPU) since the start of the pandemic. He has displayed excellence in helping out wherever he can as a respiratory therapist in the SPU. I have seen him go from helping to intubate a patient, to helping prone another patient, and then become a don/doffer to get his teammates out of the room safely. His level of accountability has been second to none as he recognizes his important role as a respiratory therapist (RT) during this pandemic.

"He has picked up countless overtime shifts to help fill staffing holes. One morning, we had a last-second call out which left the RTs in the SPU very short staffed. One call to Brian and he said, 'I will finish my morning walk and be in by 8.'

"I can't thank him enough for displaying our ASPIRE values by bringing excellence and accountability to work every day. Thank you for all that you do for your patients and our Respiratory Therapy department."

Julie Comer, Respiratory Therapist, Respiratory Therapy
February 2021 Uteam Member of the Month

"Julie has been committed to serving the COVID-19 patient population since the original planning phases for our PUI [patients under investigation] patients in the MICU [Medical Intensive Care Unit]. She has worked all but a few shifts in the SPU [Special Pathogens Unit] since its opening. Julie has consistently picked up overtime with many weeks working up to 60 hours a week. She was one of the RTs [respiratory therapists] who pushed for the use of the ventilator monitor outside of the room to reduce the amount of PPE [personal protective equipment] that would be used for RT ventilator changes. This was a true example of innovation and stewardship when needed the most. Her excellence in recommending the best processes for the SPU patients has been an invaluable asset to the SPU RT Team. Thank you for all of your contributions and hard work during this difficult time!

Lisa Sherwood, Supervisor, Neuropsychology Test Tech, Neuropsychology Lab
March 2021 Uteam Member of the Month

"It is our great pleasure to nominate Lisa Sherwood, the neuropsychology testing supervisor, for Uteam recognition. Ms. Sherwood embodies ASPIRE values both in her patient-facing role and in her administrative support for our service. We would not be able to provide quality care without all that she does for us and our patients. At the start of the pandemic last spring, Ms. Sherwood actively sought out ways for us to continue to deliver service by researching measures that could be used to assess cognitive functioning over the phone and coordinating telehealth visits (at a time when it was new to all of us). Before we brought patients back to clinic, she coordinated the installation of plexiglass shields in our testing rooms (again before these were common across the hospital) and helped us put together test batteries that would minimize direct contact via sharing of test materials. She met with the psychometricians she supervises to listen to their concerns about exposure and to incorporate their input into our procedures. Ms. Sherwood clearly understood the importance of the safety of our patients as well as the staff. It should be noted that all this took place when we were short-staffed due to furloughs yet simultaneously trying to see patients who had already waited for months for an appointment before the clinics were closed.

"Ms. Sherwood has consistently gone the extra mile for our patients and we have received numerous compliments for her patience and caring. Recently, a woman with the early stages of dementia was referred for repeat testing, but she refused as she had found the process to be onerous. Ms. Sherwood took the time to listen to the patient and her husband, explain the process thoroughly, and provide reassurance that she would be given breaks during the testing and that we would be sensitive to her needs. Ms. Sherwood clearly set the tone for a positive interaction. The patient completed testing, and afterward, said that she would not have come in if not for Ms. Sherwood’s encouragement and said that she had a much better experience that she did previously.

"Ms. Sherwood also works to make sure a patient has a positive experience in the clinic. We had an incident recently in which a patient was brought in from a nursing home in a wheelchair and dropped off in the clinic. The patient soiled herself. As the nursing home aide did not remain in clinic. Ms. Sherwood pulled together our nursing staff to help the woman (this required multiple CNAs and a lift) and was able to locate some clothing for her to change into. She also made sure environmental services came in to clean our testing room. The patient expressed appreciation for the professionalism of Ms. Sherwood and the staff and said they worked to minimize the embarrassment she felt.

"Ms. Sherwood is not only responsive to the needs of patients but to our internal and external referral sources. Neuropsychological evaluations are time-intensive and the number of patients we can evaluate in a week is limited. Given that we have a high demand, she works to help us fill last-minute cancellations and to triage individuals with urgent needs. Our Neurology colleagues have appreciated her efforts to find a way for us to evaluate their patients who present with safety risks due to their cognitive decline and limited family support. This sometimes means that she needs to enlist one of us to take on additional patients, but she is always willing to do the testing herself even when that means adding to her workload.

"Ms. Sherwood has also partnered with us to develop a targeted assessment clinic (TAC) for individuals who have been referred for evaluation but likely do not need a full test battery. This has allowed us to see additional patients (often “the worried well”) relatively quickly and to provide them (and their providers) with concrete recommendations on the day of the evaluation.

"Finally, Ms. Sherwood is a conscientious steward of our resources – test protocols, technician time, storage space, and paper. She regularly reviews our procedures to cut out redundancy and waste. Overall, Ms. Sherwood has consistently been the positive face (voice) for UVA Health when patients have called with concerns. She has been our go-to person to get things done, and we would not, could not be effective providers without her on our team. We hope you will consider recognizing Lisa Sherwood for her contributions to patient care."

School of Medicine

James Michael Dellaripa III, Lab and Research Technician, MD-DMED SoM Core Facilities
January 2021 Uteam Member of the Month

"Michael is always willing to go the extra mile and help out. For instance, on a phone call trying to meet a data lock, he read off accession numbers to me, and after giving him my profuse thanks, he said 'Well I just try to help as many people as I can.' Working in the lab and processing research samples, he is a vital and often overlooked part of the extensive research work that we do at UVA. He is always incredibly kind and willing to learn. He is detail-oriented and assumes responsibility for complex trials and specimen processing. He is incredibly professional and highlights the stewardship of the UVA ASPIRE values. For instance, he noticed in a protocol for a multi-site trial, the inclusion of media for processing without the specification of type and brought that to my attention. I was able to communicate that to the sponsor so that it can be fixed across all sites nationally."

Michael is always willing to go the extra mile and help out. For instance, on a phone call trying to meet a data lock, he read off accession numbers to me and after giving him my profuse thanks, he said " well I just try to help as many people as I can". Working in the lab and processing research samples, he is a vital and often overlooked part of the extensive research work that we do at UVA. He is always incredibly kind and willing to learn. He is detail oriented and assumes responsibility for complex trials and specimen processing. He is incredibly professional and highlights the stewardship of the UVA aspire values. For instance, he noticed in a protocol for a multi-site trial the inclusion of media for processing without the specification of type and brought that to my attention and I was able to communicate that to the sponsor so that it can be fixed across all sites nationally.

Summar Lira, Intermediate Administrative Assistant, Department of Surgery
February 2021 Uteam Member of the Month

"No matter what is going on, Summer Lira is always there for others with a positive and caring attitude. This rung especially true during this past year’s events with the pandemic.

"We were in the beginning stages of our yearly promotion and tenure process when the pandemic impacted our department and the UVA community. We went from working on-site to working remotely. This in itself presented new learning challenges along the way. Summer didn’t miss a beat. She did a stellar job keeping with the challenges. She worked closely with Dr. Anneke Schroen, Vice Chair of Faculty, to ensure nothing was missed and the process ran smoothly as in past years.

"During this time, Summer chose to continue to work at an off-site UVA location and even though she was not at her typical work area, she reached out to others. Her dedication to her work, team, and faculty is outstanding. She took time to connect with team members and kept open lines of communication with her faculty to ensuring they had the continued support needed to do their jobs as front-line workers.

“'Summer approaches all aspects of her job with an impressive amount of professionalism and follow-through,' says Dr. Shaya Showalter. 'Summer is an unbelievably positive presence, and I believe this effects those who work around her. Due to COVID, Summer has spent more time working off-site, and I miss seeing her!'

Another colleague, Linda Yeboah, Clinical Research Coordinator, adds, 'Summer is such a pleasure to work with. Not only is she hardworking and prompt with all my requests, but she is also very friendly, very approachable, and easy talk to. It’s a delight to have her as part of the surgery team here at UVA and fully deserving of this award.'

Summer Lira is the exemplification of a team member who really cares. She is compassionate and dedicated. We are honored to have such a wonderful employee in our department."

Robert Hunt Jr., Senior Medical Office Supervisor, Family Medicine
March Uteam Member of the Month

Nomination 1
"Bob has been a rock of support and leadership for our administrative team. His commitment to the ASPIRE values is a thread running through everything he does within our department. For example, Bob encourages our team's accountability by owning both our successes and our mistakes – he encourages us to learn and grow by offering solutions to problems or challenges. Bob's efforts on stewardship include encouraging our team to look for ways to streamline processes and workflow, as well as provide value added work with self-improvement or training opportunities. Professionalism is a cornerstone of Bob's approach with our team – he is always a willing collaborator and helps in whatever way he can. Bob's integrity is an integral part of his nature as he is always fair, willing to listen, and a source of encouragement to his team. Bob makes me feel respected across the board because he actively listens, includes our team in decision making, and offers clarification when we have questions or need further guidance on projects. Finally, each of these qualities demonstrates an excellence in both Bob's performance and that of each team member. Bob always looks for ways to focus on how we can best serve our team, anticipate the needs of our staff, and promote personal growth. I respectfully submit this nomination for Robert J. "Bob" Hunt Jr. as Uteam Member of the Month."

Nomination 2
"Robert (Bob) has been the rock of Family Medicine since he has joined our team and especially through the pandemic. He has shown up on site to work every day to cover any on-site needs, so all of his team members can stay safely at home. He will take on any responsibility that needs attention without hesitation. He has been such a great supervisor and leader; his team members know we can go to him for anything, and he will help in anyway he can."

Nomination 3
"Excellence: Bob helps support the department's pursuit of excellence in many ways. He has helped me shepherd several faculty through fairly complicated nomination processes for awards, etc. with a minimum of guidance and a high degree of follow-through. Attending to the details in these processes is make-or-break, and Bob's diligence has allowed us to be successful several times, which affects the faculty and department directly. Accountability: Bob is always there and responds quickly to any question or concern. This has been so appreciated during these confusing pandemic months. Integrity: Bob is focused on getting the job done, not whose job it is. I can go to him with anything, and he helps me figure out who should do it – or just does it himself."

Nomination 4
"I write to enthusiastically nominate Mr. Bob Hunt Jr. for the Uteam Member of the Month award. Bob works as the Administrative Team Lead in the Department of Family Medicine has been an anchor for the entire department over the last 12 months. Bob has worked countless hours ensuring a smooth transition to work-from-home accommodations and has been on-site every workday since the stay-at-home orders were issued, serving as our dedicated point of contact. Bob is accountable to each member of our department – consistently and almost instantaneously finding exactly the tool that each person needs to get their job done (monitors, laptops, mouse, camera, etc.). Bob has been an excellent steward for his team and our resources. During staff furloughs, while having taken a pay cut himself, Bob reassigned tasks thoughtfully, monitored operating expenses, and even learned how to help create and submit a P&T portfolio. Bob treats all of his colleagues with utmost respect and is certain to add in a friendly chuckle. This award would be an excellent way to thank him for all of his hard work this year."

Nomination 5
"As a member of the Department of Family Medicine's administrative team, I directly report to Bob Hunt and highly recommend him for Uteam Member of the Month. Bob's presence and work this past year has been essential to the daily functioning of the Department of Family Medicine. In his role as Administrative Team Leader, he has gone above and beyond by being on-site every day throughout the pandemic. His presence on-site has allowed administrative team members to work remotely. His dedication and commitment to excellence consistently guide his work. He has humbly assumed additional roles as needed: covering for admin team members furloughed or out on leave, supporting faculty through the Promotion and Tenure process, managing department mail, and much more. By virtue of his being on-site, he is often relied upon to assist with technical/computer issues and other projects as needed. He is an accountable and effective leader through his responsiveness to others’ needs and is the very definition of a team player. He is mindful of department resources (management of computer/webcam needs, etc.) and has become a resource himself for a variety of issues (i.e., managing distribution of masks/gloves and delivering air purifier units to our satellite clinics). Bob is consistently positive, kind, and collaborative in his interactions. His reliability, knowledge, and willingness to help no matter what have enhanced our environment of trust and respect. I am grateful to work with Bob, and he is most deserving of the recognition as Uteam Member of the Month.

Nomination 6
"Robert (Bob) Hunt quickly learned the business of Family Medicine as he supports the department's very busy leaders with great self-confidence. Bob immediately exhibited highly developed interpersonal skills and excellent judgment, handling every person who approached him with compassion. Bob has raised the bar in demonstrating pride, loyalty, commitment, and work ethic. When Bob is involved in something, rest assured it will be done with excellence and in a timely manner."

Nomination 7
"Bob is the rock of the Family Medicine Department. He works incredibly hard and is tirelessly available to support the department. I am new hire in the department, and Bob was amazing and supportive throughout the hiring and onboarding process. He was readily available to answer my questions and helped move the process along. I was on a tight timeline to give notice at my previous position, and Bob was incredible in working with the department and HR to ensure this could happen. When I began my position, Bob worked closely with me to ensure I was able to transition smoothly and successfully. He helped with every step of the process, ranging from navigating department resources to setting up remote access to obtaining a parking pass. I have never felt so supported during onboarding into a new position, and this was largely thanks to Bob. This is especially noteworthy given I began my position entirely remotely due to the pandemic and is a testament to the level of support Bob provides. Bob clearly upholds the ASPIRE of UVA Health as seen by his commitment to improvement, his respectful, open, and honest nature, and his collaborative approach."

Nomination 8
"Bob is one of the hardest working people I have ever met and worked with. When COVID-19 caused our team to work from home, Bob stayed in the office and handled all items on grounds including getting all the physicians set up to be able to work from home, have Telemedicine visits, etc. He made sure everyone had the correct equipment. He also stepped up and took on some duties of our team members, so that the work would continue to get done. Bob has always been flexible and understanding when those moments come up in life. I was out on medical leave and in rehab for three months, and when I returned, Bob made sure the transition back into regular workdays, and my responsibilities were slowly turned back to me smoothly. He provided me with the time to get acclimated back to work as I went from working at home to coming back on grounds."

Nomination 9
"Bob has been an absolute rockstar since arriving at UVA. However, his service has been even more stellar and invaluable over the past year with the COVID pandemic. The entire department was advised to work from home, yet Bob was present every day. He took over roles that suddenly needed attention without mention or grumbling about how mundane (shredding papers, reordering supplies, daily mail runs, vacuuming). Probably most notable is that his positive, upbeat, and sincere caring about all around him was palpable and contagious. In an era where most were focusing on the negative, Bob maintained his happy optimistic attitude, always quick to laugh and spread hope. As a physician, I cannot fathom what this department would have been like without Bob's leadership, support, and emotional anchoring. He has proven that he is the lifeblood of this department. I cannot think of any one individual – past or present – that is more deserving of this recognition and honor."

UPG

Tammy Shinaberry, Medical Office Assistant Senior, Waynesboro Dermatology
Janruary 2021 Uteam Member of the Month

"Tammy consistently demonstrates all the ASPIRE values but specifically has demonstrated professionalism, integrity, respect, and excellence during very stressful times in our clinic. We have a small staff which includes only two front staff members. For the majority of the month of December and all of January, Tammy has been our only full-time front staff member due to employees being absent from COVID and other illnesses.

"We have had intermittent coverage from others, but there have been many days that Tammy has been our only front staff member running the front office of our practice. When we have had coverage, Tammy has quickly trained the individual and assisted them in every way possible. When coverage was not available, Tammy continued to answer the phones, distribute messages, make appointments, check patients in and out, and answer any questions the providers or staff may have all on her own. There was even a day that Tammy was supposed to be out on PTO and realizing we were so short staffed, offered to work, again putting the patients and her co-workers first. Through all of this, Tammy has continued to conduct herself in a kind and caring manner, never letting the stress of the abundance of work change how she treats patients or other staff members. Tammy's exemplary performance over this extended period of time, displaying leadership and organized and efficient office skills, I feel should be acknowledged and appreciated by UPG as well as her peers."

Melanie Evans, Governmental and Legal Coordinator, Legal Affairs
February 2021 Uteam Member of the Month

"Melanie works with tireless dedication to UPG and UVA Health and consistently models the ASPIRE values in both intention and action. There are many examples of Melanie taking accountability – not just for her role in UPG but also for UPG's role as a UVA Health partner. She acts with careful stewardship of the resources of UPG and UVA Health, demonstrates unfailing professionalism, and approaches her work and colleagues with integrity, respect and in diligent pursuit of excellence in all she does.

"Melanie's daily work touches nearly every aspect of the business of UPG and facilitates collaboration within the organization and its UVA Health partners – including executive and operational leadership, faculty, and community clinical providers, administrative staff, and governance representatives. She approaches each task on her broad to-do list with the overarching goal of taking action: identifying barriers, asking questions, suggesting improvements and organized solutions, and advocating for those most in need – both in our community and on our teams. Melanie is willing and able to pitch in enthusiastically at any level – from high-level strategic conversations to the crossing-the-t's-and-dotting-the-i's work required to keep daily operational business running meticulously in the executive office at UPG, and she does it all with focused diligence, empathy, and an enduring spirit of service to her team, UVA Health, and our community.

Early in the pandemic response period, Melanie dedicated herself to learning and teaching others at UPG (and beyond) how to host and facilitate remote meetings smoothly and effectively. It would often be for very large audiences while navigating technical hurdles in real-time, so that our teams could remain connected and have personal interaction while gaining critical and timely information to continue operations. She has remained an indispensable resource in this respect, regularly going above and beyond the call of duty and always eager to help or advise her colleagues. Around the winter holidays this past year, Melanie developed, coordinated, organized, and executed a recognition campaign for 1,000+ UPG team members, where each employee was mailed a mask with UVA Health logo to their home address, with a message of appreciation and New Year's wishes from leadership. She demonstrates thoughtful initiative like this regularly and without seeking praise for her efforts. Melanie is, to put it simply, an incredible colleague whom hundreds of UVA Health employees have had the good fortune to work with over many years and hopefully will for many more to come. She is a true asset to our organization, institution, and our community."

Christian Dice, IT Analyst Senior, Revenue Cycle, Epic
March 2021 Uteam Member of the Month

"The Patient Friendly Billing [PFB] department would like to nominate Christian Dice for a Uteam award for his dedication in providing superior service to the PFB Team consistently while upholding the ASPIRE values of our organization. His efforts contribute greatly to meeting organizational goals and providing a quality patient experience.

"Christian acts as an extension of the PFB team and is highly committed to our overall success. His dedication to understanding objectives, billing practices, and procedures helps to ensure PFB remains on the continuous improvement track by proactively identifying opportunities that increase efficiency. Christian has consistently devoted his time and attention to resolving any emergency and non-emergency issue that may arise by providing in-the-moment help. He is more often than not considered the go-to person for any Epic issue or new build and will not shy away from any challenge.

"Christian takes time to understand our most complex needs and utilizes his knowledge to efficiently improve processes that ultimately benefit not just our team members but our patients. On several occasions, he has probed the corporate Epic build team to enhance processes that have saved UVA Health revenue by reducing the time spent on an account. Christian has dedicated one hour biweekly with the entire PFB management team as a Q&A session for report development. Christian is not only patient but thorough in his response. He will dedicate his time to walk each team member step-by-step through the resolution while providing guidance and training.

"A few notable highlights are the following:

Building the entire Pharmacy workflow for all units within PFB and continually assists with new builds monthly
Actively took over the Guarantor Sync project even though it was not assigned to him
Developed reports that enabled PFB to capture $410,645 in financial adjustments that had not been provided to patients

"Christian played a major role in assisting the PFB team in their move to remote working due to COVID while helping to ensure the patient experience was not compromised. Christian’s reputation of accountability, stewardship, professionalism, integrity, respect, and excellence have caused him to become a trusted colleague and partner of PFB. We could not be more honored to have the opportunity to work alongside such an outstanding member of the UVA Health team."

Nominations edited for clarity.

Congratulations to all the Uteam honorees!