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Ja-Na Matthews, Certified Medical Assistant, Urology Clinic, recently received a BEE Award for taking special care of a patient’s needs.

UVA Health launched the BEE Award last year as special program to recognize excellence among the clinical support team members who work alongside our nursing teams delivering expert, compassionate care. This award program symbolizes the relationship between nursing and other members of the care team — the same way bees and flowers depend on one another. 

Ja-Na was nominated by a fellow UVA Health team member. Read the nomination below:

"Ja-Na assists Dr. Mikel Gray with Urodynamic Studies in the Fontaine 500 Urology Clinic, caring for patients referred to him from around the state and beyond. She is Dr. Gray's right hand and handles all things 'urodynamic.' She coordinates daily patient communication and education and transmission of test results to outside providers. She orders all the necessary supplies, requiring extensive knowledge of this specialized equipment and a great deal of attention to detail. She takes her role in this area very seriously. There is only one other individual in the clinic trained in the sophisticated techniques used in the urodynamics suite: Dr. Gray himself, and only one other teammate can effectively step in and assist him other than Ja-Na.

"Most patients are very hesitant and reluctant to undertake this very intimate testing; they often feel quite vulnerable in the setting characterized by unusual equipment and circumstance. They can frequently exhibit extreme anxiety, lose control of bladder and bowel, or vomit profusely during the process. Ja-Na routinely goes above and beyond standard job requirements to ensure the comfort and happiness of the patients, making them feel more at ease while they undergo the procedure. Even in the face of great challenges, she remains extremely professional.

"When Dr. Gray is outside the clinic, Ja-Na serves in various clinic roles, often conducting our 'nurse visits' independently. She always seeks to achieve the very best of patient outcomes, activates the chain of command when appropriate, displays a great deal of knowledge and experience, asks intelligent questions, employs high-level thinking and demonstrates significant aptitude for nursing skill. She can consistently be relied upon to provide high-quality, relationship-based nursing care."

*Nomination edited for privacy and clarity.

Know a deserving team member? The Nursing Professional Governance Organization honors up to two UVA clinical support team members each month with a BEE Award. Learn more.