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Nirali Patel's response "helped me provide better patient care.”

Nirali Patel, Medical Lab Technician, UVA Health Prince William Medical Center, has won a BEE (Being Excellent Everyday) Award certificate and pin — celebrating the significant collaboration between nursing and other team members. 

Lending a Hand

Tamara Fikentscher, Technical Assistant, Outpatient Infusion Cneter, nominated Patel: “I am still fairly new to the UVA Health family. We had a patient that needed two sets of blood cultures done. I went to the lab to pick up the bottles and a team member there reminded me that I had to walk it back down because it could not go through the vacuum system. When the specimens were obtained, I walked them down to the lab.” 

“Nirali was very polite and patient with me as I tried to verify the correct policies for blood cultures. Not only did she pull up the protocols for me, she also verified with her manager. She encouraged me to continue asking questions and verifying my understanding. Her response helped me provide better patient care and that is something that I am always looking for ways of improving on.”

In Her Own Words: Humbling Honor | Powerful Motivator

Patel only has been with UVA Health for a few months and this award shows how well her approach to patient care already fits in with our mission and values. “This award means a great deal to me. I never imagined receiving such recognition so early — just six months into my journey here. I feel truly fortunate to work alongside such talented colleagues and to learn from them every day!”

“Being recognized by my peers for my contribution is both a humbling honor and a powerful motivator. It reminds me that hard work, collaboration, and the willingness to lend a hand do not go unnoticed. I’m especially grateful to my manager, Toral Shah, for creating opportunities that challenge me, support my growth, and inspire me to strive for excellence. This recognition feels like just the beginning of a meaningful and rewarding career journey.”

Aiming High

As a new team member, Patel already has a strong sense of her career goals. “I aim to continue growing in medical laboratory science, building my skills, and taking on new challenges. My long-term goal is to move into a leadership role, such as lab manager, where I can guide teams and contribute to high quality, impactful work. For now, I'm focused on excelling in my role and learning from the talented team around me.”

Know a Deserving Team Member?

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

Recipients go above and beyond to support our mission and uplift our teams. Nominate a UVA Health Culpeper, Haymarket, or Prince William Medical Center team member for a BEE Award.