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'Shannon is nothing short of a miracle worker!'

'There is no question Jaz helped save a life!'

The Nursing Professional Governance Organization (NPGO) honors up to two UVA Health University Medical Center team members each month with a BEE (Being Excellent Everyday) Award.

Chief Medical Officer Reid Adams, MD, and NPGO Nursing Recognition and Retention Specialist Ashley Noguera, PMP, surprised Shannon James and Jazmin Edwards, UVA Health Transplant, with BEE Awards.

Cat Gilmore submitted both nominations:

"Shannon James is one of the main backbones of UVA Health Transplant! She is nothing short of a miracle worker! She has been working at UVA for 15+ years and goes above and beyond for patients on a daily basis. She not only works financial and insurance miracles for all types of patients, but she also cares deeply about the well-being of our transplant patients.

"She exemplifies all ASPIRE values but none more than Excellence. She is the expert when it comes to all things finance and insurance in Transplant. She has been singlehandedly holding down the post-kidney financial and insurance fort for some time now. This means she has been helping with approximately 1,600+ post-kidney transplant patients, plus infusions across all UVA Health Transplant organ groups, and helps with pediatrics. Not to mention other duties as assigned. Shannon can literally do it all! We do not know how she does it, but without her, UVA Health Transplant would essentially grind to a screeching halt! She's able to find financial assistance for infusions, insanely expensive medications, procedures, and so much more.

"Shannon is also what we call in transplant 'The Insurance Guru.' But best of all you should hear her on the phone getting authorizations from insurance companies! She is a wizard at obtaining authorizations! Shannon is also an excellent educator when it comes to patients and their insurance plans. She is able to assess financial and insurance situations quickly to determine how the team can best care for patients without putting them in a financial bind. As the post-kidney transplant team often says, 'Shannon is the real MVP of Transplant!'

"She is an invaluable asset to this team and our patients. We will never be able to thank her enough for her time and efforts. She deserves this BEE Award and so much more!"

"Jazmin 'Jaz' Edwards is a true asset to the post-kidney transplant team. Jaz does not hesitate to help out a team member, especially when it comes to interpretation. She assists staff (Call Center, RNs, MDs, pharmacists, financial coordinators, social workers, etc.) and Spanish-speaking patients in communicating complicated plans and orders. She interpreted the pre-kidney video to ensure Spanish-speaking patients are hearing this important education.

"Recently, Jaz helped a post-kidney transplant coordinator communicate with a Spanish-speaking patient who was very depressed and expressed thoughts of suicidal ideation. Jaz remained cool, calm, and collected while the RN called 911 to the patient's home. She stayed on the phone with the patient until EMS [Emergency Medical Services] and police arrived to assess the patient. The patient was found unharmed but later taken to UVA Health for assessment. There is no question Jaz helped save a life by staying on the phone with this patient!

"She goes above and beyond in the work that she does. This is just one of many examples. She is an invaluable member of this team, and I am very proud to work with her!" 

Know a Deserving Team Member (or Two)?

The BEE Award recognizes UVA Health University Medical Center team members who work alongside our nurses to impact patients' experiences — just as bees and flowers depend on one another. Submit a nomination.