Southeast Alabama Medical Center’s Elizabeth “Liz” English was recently honored by the Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHa) as a statewide “Hospital Hero” at a luncheon in Birmingham.

 

Ms. English, who is the 2^nd shift Radiology supervisor, was among 10 statewide winners chosen by the Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHa). This is the seventh year AlaHa has recognized “Hospital Heroes” in an effort to honor the dedication of hospital employees and to highlight health careers.

 

“When I hear of the heroic acts of these winners, I am honored to be part of the hospital field,” said J. Michael Horsley, president of AlaHa. “These men and women use every available resource in order to help those in need. They truly deserve to be recognized as the best in health care.”

 

“I like taking care of people,” said Ms. English, who has been a member of the Medical Center family for almost 40 years. “You get a feeling of accomplishment when you take care of sick people.

 

“I go home to family at night and I come home to another family at work.” She said whenever she thinks she has problems all she has to do is come to work and realize how blessed she is.

 

“As an organization we are very proud of Liz and her dedication to SAMC,” said Ron Owen, Medical Center CEO. “Liz represents the 2,500 ‘Hospital Heroes’ at the Medical Center who are dedicated to taking care of our patients. Everything we do is about the patient.”

 

Ms. English is a true inspiration when it comes to helping those in need, both patients and team members alike. “It’s the little things that don’t register with most people that Liz takes to heart,” said Mike Williams, division director for Radiology. 

 

One example of Ms. English’s kindness involved a team member who was a Hurricane Katrina evacuee. The man, who worked for Ms. English in Radiology, was diagnosed with cancer. With no family in the area, Ms. English took it upon herself to assist him. Her care came in the form of cooking meals, taking him to doctors’ appointments and ensuring he was never alone in his battle with the disease. When he died last year, Ms. English was at his side taking care of him.

 

Ms. English was one of three Medical Center employees nominated for the statewide award. Julia Bignoli, an R.N. in the Critical Care Unit and the late Steve Clayton, Bio Medical safety technician were also nominated for the work they have done going above and beyond the normal line of duty. The nominations for all three SAMC nominees follow:

 

 

Steve Clayton

Tears streamed down Melanie McKnight’s face as she recently talked about a hospital hero that is near and dear to her heart.

 

Melanie is division director of Registration Services at the Medical Center. Her brother, Steve Clayton, is a Bio Medical safety technician at the Medical Center. It’s not hard to see the admiration Melanie has for her brother as she talks about his fight against a fatal illness.

 

For many years Steve has been a breath of fresh air to people in the community. Tragically, about five years ago, Steve literally got the wind knocked out of his sails.

 

Steve was diagnosed with idiophatic Pulmonary Fibrosis. The disease has caused his lungs to continually deteriorate. His survival is dependent on a lung transplant. At the time of this submission, Steve and his wife Becky, who is the former director of Print Services at the Medical Center, are staying in Birmingham anxiously awaiting the call saying a donor has been found.

 

Despite his debilitating disease, Steve continued to work everyday. During the early stages of the disease, Steve could be seen walking around with an oxygen mask. He always greeted people with his trademark grin and a friendly hello.

 

Steve never complained or let his battle for breath slow him down. As the disease began to take its toll on him, Steve became known as the “Rocket Man” as he rode his scooter around the hospital with his oxygen tanks attached.

 

His teammates would meet him at his vehicle every morning and make sure he got on his scooter and in the building safely. On days when Steve couldn’t get around easily, he would field phone calls at his work station as his teammates relied on his vast knowledge of the Hillrom total care bed in the Critical Unit.

 

In fact, during the summer Steve had to spend some time in the hospital as a patient. A visitor walked in to see him and Steve was up working on equipment in his room. He said while he was there he might as well be doing something constructive.

 

“When the team encountered problems with the Infant Abduction System, Steve helped us through a problem while in Birmingham awaiting his lung transplant,” said Bio Med Director Davidd Senecal.

 

Steve’s an accomplished musician and played in a band during his younger days. For the last 15 years he has been the pianist at Calvary Baptist Church in Cottonwood, Alabama. He also serves the church as a deacon, Sunday school teacher and Vacation Bible School worker.  

 

He also has a heart for giving back to those in need. He served on the Houston County Teenage Substance Abuse Committee and was on the Alabama Music Hall of Fame selection committee for four years.

 

Melanie said her brother spends a lot of time smoking meats and taking them to people in the community. She said he would smoke them and then deliver them to people he thought could use it. His sister said he didn’t make a big production out of doing it; he would just walk up to the front door hand over the meat and say, “I hope you enjoy it.” He would then walk back to his vehicle and continue making rounds.

 

Before coming to work at the hospital, Steve owned a music studio and shop. Anytime a church called needing something done, Steve would take care of it and only charge $25. No matter what it was, it was always just $25.

 

“Stevie was good hearted to a fault,” Melanie said. “If you walked in his shop and needed something, there was a good bet you would leave with it at no charge. He would give his shirt off his back to anyone in need.”

 

Since Steve got sick, there have been several fundraisers held in the community and at the Medical Center to help him defray costs. Despite his weakened state, Steve took the time to go around and personally thank everyone who participated at a chili dog fundraiser held at the hospital.

 

Steve is truly a hero to those he comes in contact with and no one can sum it up any better than his sister. “He is the best brother anyone could ever have and he is my hero.”

 

We second that nomination.

Julia Bignoli

Julia Bignoli spent most of her adult life working in a purchasing position and co-owning an antique business in the Mobile area with her sister.

 

However, deep in her heart she had a calling to fill a different kind of orders. She finally answered that call in the early 1990s and traded in her order forms for patient charts. In 1994, while working full time, Julia earned her nursing degree with a perfect grade point average.

 

Her nursing degree along with her business background immediately made her an attractive candidate for a supervisory nursing position at a local nursing home. She spent seven years as director of Nursing at the nursing home.

 

However, during her time at the nursing home, Julia’s husband was diagnosed with cancer. It was at that point that Julia joined the Southeast Alabama Medical Center family in the Critical Care Unit. Working at the Medical Center afforded her the opportunity to work third shift so she could spend her days taking care of her husband. He has now been in remission for two and a half years.

 

“Julia’s challenges at home did not deter her from doing what she loves – caring for the less fortunate,” said co-worker Gabby Gassman. “She continued to promote the welfare of the elderly in her community.”

 

She helps her neighbors by driving them to the grocery store, taking them to get their prescriptions filled and making sure they get to their doctor’s appointments. She also mentors young residents on the importance of assisting those in need and teaches them the importance of giving back.

 

“Julia believes everything someone does to help the less fortunate is returned through the love it instills in their hearts,” Gabby said. “She often helps fellow nurses in times of financial need and only asks in return that they pass along the gift of helping someone else when they are in need.”

 

“God blesses you,” Julia said. “Everything comes back to you.”

 

Julia was recently awarded the highest award bestowed on team members at the Medical Center. SAMMY awards are given to team members who consistently go above and beyond their daily duties and responsibilities.

 

She was nominated for a SAMMY for her work giving flu shots at a local pharmacy. After working an eight-hour night shift, Julia still has the energy in the morning to volunteer at Circle Pharmacy providing flu shots to Wiregrass residents.

Julia travels great distances taking flu shots to elderly residents who are unable to visit the pharmacy due to a medical or physical condition. An employee at Circle Pharmacy described Julia as a person who "will go wherever we need her.  If patients need a B-12 shot or a flu shot, she will be there." 

Julia smiles as she recalls a story early in her nursing career. She stopped by an elderly man’s house to give him a flu shot. The man was concerned about whether the shot would hurt. Not sure whether to believe Julia when she told him it wouldn’t hurt, the man bargained with Julia. He made Julia promise to give him a kiss if the shot hurt.

 

Julia gave the man the shot and then asked if it hurt. “No, but can I still have my kiss,” the man asked. Julia obliged with a kiss on the cheek. This is one of many stories of how Julia is making a difference by providing the elderly with medication.

 

In addition to volunteering her expertise to the community, Julia is also a patient advocate. Julia recently cared for a patient who wanted to leave the hospital because she had no insurance and could not reimburse the hospital for a possible life-saving surgery.  The patient was a hard-working individual, but her employer did not offer health insurance.

 

“Julia is a caring person who is always thinking of others,” said Pam Bland, director of the Critical Care Unit. “She is good with patients and their family.”

 

Bland said Julia has a caring spirit and has a calming demeanor when explaining things to family members.

Julia has served on various committees of the Alabama State Nursing Association including President for District 6. In the past, she was voted Outstanding Nursing Administrator in Practice.

 

The Medical Center is better place because Julia followed her calling to be a nurse. It is that calling that has led her to be a Hospital Hero.

 

Liz English

Liz English lives by a straightforward biblical truth, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”

 

When asked why she adheres to such as high standard, her response is profoundly simple – “That’s what the Lord wants us to do.”

 

“I like taking care of people,” she recently said. “You get a feeling of accomplishment when you take care of sick people.” She said whenever she thinks she has problems all she has to do is come to work and she realizes how blessed she is.

 

Liz has been a member of the Southeast Alabama Medical Center family for almost 39 years. She is currently the second shift supervisor in Radiology. For those who don’t know Liz, she comes across as gruff and demanding. In fact, it has earned her the nickname – Bear.

 

Down deep she is a true inspiration when it comes to helping those in need, both patients and team members alike. When a cancer patient was experiencing back pain and couldn’t lie down in the bed comfortably, Liz took it upon herself to go out and buy him a memory foam topper for his mattress.

 

Several years ago, a team member in Radiology died in a car wreck. The young man’s passing left many questions about death in the minds of the radiology technicians working under Liz. Without any fan fare, Liz quietly went out and bought each one of them a Bible so they could find answers on their own.

 

Hearing of a cancer patient who was having trouble affording gas to drive back forth for treatment, Liz went out and purchased him a gas card. Another time a team member in Radiology was talking in passing about a rash his young child had developed. The next day Liz came in with cream and told the team member to try it on his child’s rash. The grateful team member was amazed at how in tune Liz was with a passing conversation.

 

“It is the little things that don’t register with most people that Liz takes to heart,” the team member said.

 

When it comes to being a supervisor, there is no gray area with Liz. She loves the hospital and puts it first. She also isn’t going to bend the rules and expects the same out of her radiology technicians.

 

To a person, her radiology technicians know Liz can chew them out pretty good when it is needed. But, they also know Liz is just trying to make them better technicians. They also know if they needed it, Liz would give them the shirt off her back.

 

“If you don’t want to work, I tell them to back up their diddy back and go home,” Liz said with a half smile.

 

While all of these acts of kindness easily add up to a Hospital Hero, they pale comparison to the lengths she went to in taking care of one of her team members who had no family to turn to in time of need.

 

The story begins with Hurricane Katrina and a man named David who fled the New Orleans area. David literally threw a dart at a map and it landed on Dothan, Alabama. While David thought he was relying on blind luck, many believe it was divine intervention that brought him to cross paths with Liz.

 

David, who worked as a radiation technician at the children’s hospital in New Orleans, was told to evacuate in the hours prior to Katrina making landfall in September 2005. After arriving in Dothan, David decided to relocate and began the process of trying to find a job as a radiology technician.

 

He landed a job at the Medical Center and was assigned to second shift. Soon after he arrived, David was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Having come to Dothan with a friend, David believed he was destined to fight the cancer with little help.

 

Little did he know he would have a guardian angel in the form of Liz. She began helping take care of him and David beat prostate cancer. However, soon after he thought he was cancer free, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

 

Working second shift, Liz took it upon herself to go by David’s apartment everyday to take care of him. She cooked his meals, took him to doctor’s appointment and paid his bills for him. As he continued to get worse, Liz moved in with him so someone would be there for him all of the time.

 

When Liz was at work, her son would help take care of David. No matter what David needed, Liz was there to provide it. She even closed her side business to make sure her friend and former colleague got the care he needed.

 

“I didn’t know someone could love someone so much that wasn’t family,” David told Liz during his final days. In June of this year David passed away with Liz right there with him.

 

Since David’s death, Liz has quietly moved on to find someone else who needs a helping hand. One of her team mates summed up Liz this way, “If everyone treated people like Liz does, we would never have to worry about low patient satisfaction scores.”

 

When all is said and done, maybe Liz’s nickname of the bear is only half right. To those who know her and to those she has touched, she is more of a teddy bear who simply loves her neighbor as herself.