Connect

This is the latest installment in our Connect article series “Hope at Work” — showcasing inspiring stories about how our team members contribute to UVA Health’s 10-year strategic plan: “One Future Together Health and Hope for All.”No matter where you work, you have an opportunity to inspire hope in others. These stories show how:

At the heart of UVA Health University Medical Center’s nonstop operations is the Contact Center: a bustling, behind-the-scenes hub that fields thousands of calls each day from patients, families, and even prospective UVA students.  

Among the calm, capable voices guiding callers with care and compassion are two, long-serving team members: Shirley Cromer and Vicky Hawkins. 

A Steady Hand Through the Years 

Shirley Cromer, Supervisor, Contact Center, has spent the past 37 years at UVA Health ensuring people find the help they need — whether that’s a patient in distress, a visitor with a question, or a colleague in need of support.  

Her career at UVA Health began in Transportation and Materials Distribution as a transporter messenger and has taken her through many roles: from dispatcher, shuttle driver to Resource Support before joining the Contact Center. 

Today, Shirley oversees a team that handles up to 4,000 calls a day, 24 hours a day, seven days a week! Despite the volume, Shirley never loses sight of the human connection. “Some callers have sad stories, and all they need is someone to listen,” she says. “It makes their day and peps them up a little bit.” 

Shirley often begins her day well before sunrise. She drives 45 minutes from her home in Crozet to check in on night shift team members as early as 3:30 a.m. and doesn’t wrap up until long after the evening rush.  

Shirley’s not only a leader but also a mentor and source of comfort to her team. Recently, she took time to sit with a new evening shift team member who felt overwhelmed, and offered empathy and strategies to help ease her burden. It’s moments like these that bring Shirley the most meaning to her work. 

Outside of work, Shirley treasures time with her grandchildren and is a devoted UVA sports fan, having held season football tickets for more than 20 years! 

The Calm in the Storm 

Vicky Hawkins, Contact Center Lead, is celebrating her 21st anniversary at UVA Health — a journey that began on her birthday when she received a phone call offering her the job. Since then, she’s moved from transporting patients to dispatching — and now serves as a trusted lead in the Contact Center’s McKim Hall location. 

In her current role, Vicky is often the go-to person when a team member encounters a difficult call. She supports her colleagues, responds to emergency calls, manages patient relations, enters equipment orders into Epic, and helps patients navigate the system during their most vulnerable moments. “When a patient is upset, it is my job to calm them down and figure out what information they need,” she explains. 

The job isn’t always easy. As Vicky describes, “People don’t realize the amount of calls the Contact Center receives or how emotional some of those calls can be. For this type of work, you must be positive. You must be uplifting.” And Vicky embodies that positivity every day. “I love my job,” she adds without hesitation. 

A mother of two, Vicky enjoys traveling with her daughters. She celebrated a milestone birthday in Jamaica and is planning a family cruise to the Bahamas next year. 

Heartfelt Love and Dedication  

Shirley was one of the first people to interview Vicky when she started at UVA Health more than two decades ago and has remained a mentor and colleague to her ever since. Their longstanding connection reflects the deep sense of camaraderie and shared purpose that drives Shirley and Vicky’s work. 

For patients and families navigating complex emotions, the human touch provided by Shirley and Vicky makes all the difference. One grateful family member recently shared: 

“Shirley and Victoria of the Contact Center are SO WONDERFUL! They are so polite, so personable, so genuinely heartfelt in their love and dedication! I've been so isolated caring for my mom …. I was so impressed and grateful and in awe from learning what early hours (and years of service) these essential staff put in. I hope they are uplifted and recognized in every way possible and more for the vital, virtual and real-time screen work they do that truly saves lives in every sense possible!” 

Behind every call received at the Contact Center is a person in need, and Shirley and Vicky are often the first voices to offer reassurance, guidance, and hope!