Adventist Health and Rideout Honors August 2024 BE Award Recipients

The BE award recognizes associates who exemplify Adventist Health "BE" statements (Be Love, Be a Force for Food, Be a Mission Owner, Be Welcoming, Be Curious, Be Brilliant). All Adventist Health and Rideout associates at the hospital, outpatient clinics and skilled nursing facility are eligible for nomination.

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BE Award Recipient:Dr. Peter Meade
Department:General Surgery
Submitted by:Brian Supple
BE Statement:Be a Force for Good

From Co-Worker:Dr. Meade represents what a physician should BE: a force for good. This man has dedicated his life to the care of surgical and trauma patients when they need him the most. These are the sickest and most injured patients, such as those in the intensive care unit and those who have suffered life-threatening accidents. Not only does he do this at home in California, but on other continents—most notably Africa. And to boot, this is done at his own expense—time and money. I applaud his LIFETIME of being a force for good.

BE Award Recipient:Cecilia Saucedo (Laupati)
Department:Chaplain Services
Submitted by:Jamie Scott
BE Statement:Be Love

From Co-Worker:Love matters. Treat yourself with love and care so that you are free to love and care for others. Be trustworthy, forgive freely, and find common ground; this is what it means to embody Be Love by definition. A small backstory: Staff at The Courtyard were struggling, and emotions were running high as one resident had passed away that morning and another beloved resident was transitioning and beginning their journey to their forever home. I reached out to the Spiritual team, asking what the process was for having a chaplain come when the resident passed to offer some support to the staff. Francisco advised me on the process and let me know that Ceci would be right over. The calmness that encircled Ceci when she came into the resident's room is unlike anything I have experienced. Ceci is so soft-spoken, yet Ceci’s words are extremely powerful and have such a huge impact on all of those around Ceci. She sat with me, offering words of encouragement; Ceci prayed over the resident and the staff when several staff came into the resident's room. It is evident in our encounter with Ceci that she is not only a wonderful chaplain but an amazing human being. Our team is so grateful for the support that was provided at the drop of a hat, and we are honored to work amongst greatness.

BE Award Recipient:Celeste Torres (Sutton)
Department:Home Health
Submitted by:Deb Rosencrance & Sarah Charles
BE Statement:Be a Force for Good

From Co-Worker:I'm honored to nominate Sujhei and Celeste for a BE Award for being a force for good. Recently, both Sujhei and Celeste were leaving our office following the end of the workday and found an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair outside our office in 110-degree heat. Instead of continuing on their way home, both stopped to investigate the situation. This individual had been dropped off for a doctor's appointment, but transport never returned, and he had been outside for approximately an hour. While speaking with the gentleman, transport did show up, and the patient said he did not want to ride with that driver because he was "reckless." This gentleman agreed to go via transport with Celeste riding with him and Sujhei following to return Celeste to her car. By being a force for good, both Celeste and Sujhei went above and beyond for this individual and likely saved him from health complications or even death if he were to remain in the extreme heat. Individuals like Sujhei and Celeste are teammates that make me proud to work alongside them.

BE Award Recipient:Sujhei Farias Castaneda
Department:Home Health
Submitted by:Deb Rosencrance & Sarah Charles
BE Statement:Be a Force for Good

From Co-Worker:I'm honored to nominate Sujhei and Celeste for a BE Award for being a force for good. Recently, both Sujhei and Celeste were leaving our office following the end of the workday and found an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair outside our office in 110-degree heat. Instead of continuing on their way home, both stopped to investigate the situation. This individual had been dropped off for a doctor's appointment, but transport never returned, and he had been outside for approximately an hour. While speaking with the gentleman, transport did show up, and the patient said he did not want to ride with that driver because he was "reckless." This gentleman agreed to go via transport with Celeste riding with him and Sujhei following to return Celeste to her car. By being a force for good, both Celeste and Sujhei went above and beyond for this individual and likely saved him from health complications or even death if he were to remain in the extreme heat. Individuals like Sujhei and Celeste are teammates that make me proud to work alongside them.

BE Award Recipient:Sarra Allen (Dobson)
Department:ED
Submitted by:Denise Sheridan
BE Statement:Be a Mission Owner

From Co-Worker:Sarra was busy today when my phone call was transferred to her so I could ask about lost shoes. My patient had come through the ED three days earlier, and now he was ready to go home. Unfortunately, his shoes were lost sometime between arriving at the ED and transferring up to 3 Main. As my patient was chronically resource-challenged, lost shoes were a significant concern for him. With scorching temperatures reaching 102°F today, walking barefoot on hot pavement was unthinkable. I explained the circumstances to Sarra, and she agreed to look in the ED lost and found as soon as she could get access. After three phone calls back to me, Sarra communicated that the patient's shoes were nowhere to be found. But owning the mission (perhaps seemingly small in the grand scheme of medical things but nonetheless important to this man), Sarra showed up on 3 Main with brand-new flip-flops she had retrieved from the ED clothing donation closet. She wasn't asked; she just did it! That's the kind of mission owner and colleague I love working with.

BE Award Recipient:Shannon Goods
Department:CVICU
Submitted by:Juana Salomon
BE Statement:Be Love

From Co-Worker:I have been a nurse for our local hospital since September of 2008. I had the privilege of beginning as a new grad on 4 Main. Most of my nights consisted of new grads, travelers, and one very tired charge nurse. Resources were scarce. I have a very vivid memory of my first sight of a confident, well-equipped critical care nurse. One night, a patient on our unit became hypotensive and unresponsive. In 2008, our rapid response protocols were new, and a nurse was not always staffed. Thankfully, Shannon, the CVICU charge nurse, caught wind of our dilemma and arrived to check on our patient. The patient was unresponsive but breathing; he was gray, had cool extremities, and a weak pulse. Shannon appeared through all the commotion, placed a manual blood pressure cuff, and, as someone retrieved a Doppler, she showed us new nurses how to palpate a blood pressure. It was 70! She looked towards the bedside nurse and respectfully asked her to contact a respiratory therapist to assist with breathing, then reminded her care nurse to call the primary care doctor for further assistance in transferring the patient to critical care. The situation that began with new nurses chasing their tails concluded with Shannon calmly directing us and promptly transferring the patient to the intensive care unit. I was starstruck! Her execution was smooth and without chaos. I then knew there were resources I could tap into just next door to me. During my time at night, I could always walk over to intensive care and observe her nursing practice. Shannon kept to herself, and since I was new, I would try not to interrupt her. Back then, she was a relief charge and had a strict motherly way of watching over her unit. She made sure the staff was well-nourished. Shannon embodies the qualities of a long-lasting leader. Today, Shannon is our resilient night shift clinical coordinator. Shannon guides our new grads by encouraging them to seek assistance and problem-solve without wasting time. She sees the light in our nurses who show promise and speaks up for them to engage in learning opportunities. She has the experience to support her staff’s limitations and does not force them to engage in more training until they are ready. She stands beside those that need more time or confidence and powers them up when they are ready for more. Shannon is an exemplary leader. She often changes her schedule to accommodate the need for a heart-trained nurse, rapid response needs, and picks up extra lead shifts when no relief charge is available. She brings nutrition-rich foods for her staff and plans celebratory work lunches in honor of our colleagues. Shannon is quiet and efficient. She is one we learn from by observation and imitation. When critical issues arise, working with Shannon alongside me, I never feel alone. Shannon is love for the nursing staff as she nourishes their bodies with healthy foods and confidence with positive reinforcement. Shannon is a force for good when she takes the reins for patient care when her new grads feel overwhelmed. She owns her mission as a leader by being open to conversation and accommodating her staff’s strengths and helping them identify and improve their weaknesses. She is welcoming to our patients no matter the reason or behavior they present. Shannon is curious and humble enough to ask for guidance with new software and equipment. Shannon is brilliant as she sets expectations and holds all of us accountable. Thus, it is my privilege to nominate Shannon for a BE Award.

BE Award Recipient:Dr. Avneet Kahlon
Department:Rapid Response Hospitalist
Submitted by:Jeanie Chung
BE Statement:Be a Force for Good & Be Love

From Co-Worker:I wanted to write this nomination for a specific event that occurred during a night shift, in which I was covering as the rapid response nurse. Oftentimes, night shift’s job is defined as "putting out the fires" and keeping the patient going until the primary team comes on during the day for any further interventions. And oftentimes, patients just need a small intervention and stabilization. However, there are instances when patients have condition changes that require more than just "putting out the fire" and necessitate significant involvement and, in this case, end-of-life care. I wanted to nominate Dr. Kahlon for his interventions and his priority on this patient's care. And he does this all while managing ER admissions and being on call for three other floors.

The patient I'm referring to was end-of-life. Conversations had been had by the primary team about her plan of care and prognosis. Even the ICU was involved. The patient was somewhat stable at shift change. Towards the middle of the night, she started acutely decompensating. The interventions that were put into place on day shift were no longer effective and were causing patient discomfort and distress. Multiple conversations were had with Dr. Kahlon and another physician. The family needed to know that the patient was no longer responding to therapy. We were at a crossroads and needed to proceed with end-of-life or more aggressive interventions. The patient had clearly stated her desire for "selective treatment." Throughout our conversations, Dr. Kahlon’s priority was to respect the patient's end-of-life wishes. He expressed concern for her comfort. He could have just "put out the fire" with small interventions to keep her going until that magical 0700 hour. But he didn’t. With many admissions pending in the ER and other house calls, he took time to go into her chart and call the next of kin. He spoke to the patient's daughter and updated her on the patient's condition. He encouraged her to come visit because no one should die alone, and family should spend the last minutes with their loved ones. He spent I don’t know how much time with the family answering questions, and the questions were quite varied and involved. He involved the intensivist in the family discussion, and we were finally able to proceed with comfort care. Dr. Kahlon really went out of his way to ensure that the patient's final wishes were carried out and that she would not suffer at the end of her life. So, kudos to Dr. Kahlon for being a Force for Good and Being Love.