Meet the UTSW Health System's most recent Strauss Award honorees
The latest recipients of UT Southwestern’s Diana and Richard C. Strauss Service Excellence Award work in Psychiatry, Geriatric Medicine, Rapid Response, Health Information Management, Admissions, and Social Work.
Once each quarter, six team members throughout the UTSW Health System are nominated by their peers for exemplifying excellence and professionalism on the job. While they each have a different role, there are three common traits that define Strauss Award recipients:
- They excel at their jobs.
- They serve as role models for the next generation of employees.
- They share a spirit of volunteerism that strengthens our community.
The honorees for the third quarter of 2023 were celebrated during a virtual event on Nov. 17, hosted by UT Southwestern President Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D.
Watch: Dr. Podolsky honors winners during the virtual event.
Colton Allen Clark
Clinical Staff Assistant III
Psychiatry
“Colton is always the first on the scene when a patient needs assistance. Our patients leave the clinic feeling cared for, listened to and with a positive attitude toward UT Southwestern just based on their interaction with Colton.”
UTSW career: Mr. Clark came to UT Southwestern two years ago, but in that relatively short time, he has made a remarkable impression upon patients and colleagues alike. As proof, he has earned a Meritorious Service Award, a silver PACT pin, and multiple blue PACT pins for the outstanding customer service he provides daily. He received an impressive 10 nominations for this Strauss Award.
In his role: Working in the Neuropsychology Clinic, Mr. Clark is often the first – and last – person patients see when they come in for a visit. He welcomes them when they arrive and checks them in, making certain all required information and authorizations have been collected. He answers questions to ensure the patient feels well prepared for their appointment. When the visit is complete, Mr. Clark confirms people are scheduled for their next visit and sees to it that they get safely to transportation home, often walking them to their vehicle.
He was made for this: “I’ve always believed that patient care seemed like my kind of thing. I just like helping people, and once I decided to give it a try, there was no turning back.”
The greater good: “It truly seems like I’m not just working at a job. I am able to help people get necessary care that can make their lives a little bit easier and less stressful. It feels like I am doing something good for the community, and I feel really great about that.”
Off the clock: Mr. Clark pursues twin passions when he’s away from work. He’s an avid disc golfer and recharges his mind and body by getting away from the city and enjoying the great outdoors, including camping, swimming, boating, and skiing. His family also owns a 1964 Chevrolet Malibu drag racing car, and he works as part of the pit crew to help field it in local races.
Donna Fletcher, B.S.H.A.
Senior Geriatric Coordinator
William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital
“It is a testament to Donna’s exceptional care that family members often express their appreciation by hugging her and sending letters of appreciation. These gestures of gratitude reflect the deep level of trust and rapport she has established with patients and their families.”
UTSW career: Mrs. Fletcher joined the UT Southwestern staff in 2019 in pursuit of a personal goal to use her skills to ensure senior citizens, especially those with delirium, receive the best care available.
In her role: Her expertise is centered on having seniors’ medical conditions accurately understood. To achieve this, Mrs. Fletcher collaborates with Informatics team members to streamline geriatric assessments in Epic, resulting in increased accuracy of delirium and cognitive impairment testing. She also initiated a housewide geriatric committee to coordinate care across different departments. Though such efforts, Mrs. Fletcher is credited with playing a pivotal role in UT Southwestern earning Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) exemplar designation.
Another chance to make a difference: “I worked at another hospital for 16 years in the Advanced Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Department. I loved what I did, but one day I decided I was ready to try something different. When I interviewed at UT Southwestern, I was really inspired and felt that the work I would do here would be deeply meaningful.”
Dignity through care: “It’s really rewarding, and it brings me joy to be able to connect with older patients. When they’re struggling, it’s important that they know someone is there who understands and who is going to help them work through this, allowing them to keep their dignity. I’m proud of the way we treat our senior patients with respect, because that’s how we show them we truly care.”
Off the clock: An avid sports fan, Mrs. Fletcher loves to watch as many games as she can from the bleachers, often attending football games for which her husband serves as a referee. Before she was a spectator, she was a coach, spending many years teaching girls how to play basketball.
Michael “Mike” Jhammat, B.S.N., RN, CCRN-CMC-CSC
RN Charge Nurse
Rapid Response Team
“Whenever Mike is faced with a problem or challenge, he uses his critical thinking, prioritization, creativity, decision-making and information processing skills to find the best solution to the problem. He remains calm even under intense pressure. Mike is a compassionate and caring nurse who constantly anticipates patient needs and goes above and beyond to give excellent and safe care to his patients.”
UTSW career: Mr. Jhammat has been a part of the UT Southwestern team for five years and has collected several accolades for his accomplishments in that time, including the Spirit of Caring Award and a Silver PACT pin.
In his role: As part of the Rapid Response Team (RRT), Mr. Jhammat’s duties include responding if a person in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) faces sudden difficulties such as a suspected stroke or other Code Blue activity. When every tick of the clock counts, the RRT members are trained to identify and respond to emergencies to stabilize patients and save lives.
Lifelong learning: Determined to constantly make himself more skilled, Mr. Jhammat has achieved and maintains multiple critical care certifications, including recognition as a Critical Care Registered Nurse, Cardiac Medicine Certification, and Cardiac Surgery Certification. While he considers his current role to be his dream job, the former EMS worker has fixed his sights on attending medical school, starting the lengthy process of becoming a doctor.
Satisfaction guaranteed: “I’ve wanted to be a part the Rapid Response Team ever since I got into nursing. I come in to work every day and enjoy the job I do because I get to directly interact with patients and make a difference. When I’m able to implement an intervention that stabilizes a patient, that’s what sends me home with a sense of satisfaction at the end of my shift.”
Off the clock: Outside of work, Mr. Jhammat keeps a laser-like focus on televised football games, allowing him to recite scores and statistics with encyclopedic knowledge. His other hobby will suit his future ambitions well: He likes to read, and a favorite subject is medical journals.
Zondria Johnson
Senior Specialist
Health Information Management
“Zondria is a problem-solver who exemplifies the customer service experience and is readily available to assist our patients and providers. As a trainer, she is approachable and very patient. She has a positive and upbeat attitude and ... a strong work ethic. She has become a subject matter expert with the operative suspension audit and has cross-trained [on other roles] in order to assist in other areas as needed.”
UTSW career: The longest-tenured member of this Strauss Awards class, Mrs. Johnson has completed 16 years at UT Southwestern. She started as a file clerk, advancing over time into her current role as a Senior Specialist in Health Information Management (HIM). Along the way, she has earned a Meritorious Service Award and numerous PACT awards for her meaningful efforts.
In her role: Part of Mrs. Johnson’s job is to ensure that providers are current on their compliance paperwork, a necessary step that must be completed in a timely manner. Doctors are grateful for the tireless work Mrs. Johnson does to keep track of hundreds of patients and dozens of physicians. During the 2023 fiscal year, she sent out more than 1,900 notices to providers, an average of more than 160 a month.
The shoes from her feet: In addition to all the wonderful things Mrs. Johnson does while on the job – including training her colleagues and sharing efficiency tips and techniques she’s learned over the years – one of the most touching events happened outside of the office. One day, she noticed a woman who was experiencing homelessness, walking shoeless down the street. Without a second thought, Mrs. Johnson took off her own footwear and gave it to the grateful recipient.
What makes her tick: “When I’m able to work things out and help someone, that’s when I’m happy. So, when I can track down a doctor in a timely fashion so we can continue to help with their patients, I feel like I’ve done my part to make a difference.”
Off the clock: Mrs. Johnson loves to be active, playing basketball or roller skating, among other physical hobbies. She became hooked on hoops when she was a freshman in high school and made the varsity basketball squad. She wishes the Women’s National Basketball Association would have been invented earlier so she could have tried her hand at the pro game when she was younger, she said with a laugh.
Andrew Wang
Hospital Access Lead
Admissions, William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital
“Andrew’s strongest skill is teamwork. He consistently puts the team before himself by assisting others in areas not assigned to him just to lessen the workload of others. Since joining us, Andrew has contributed to the success of our department exponentially.”
UTSW career: Celebrating his third anniversary at UT Southwestern in December, Mr. Wang honed his customer service and management skills working at his parents’ downtown Dallas restaurant for most of his life. Eager to make a switch and try the health care field, he was able to make a seamless transition, using the skills he learned working for his family. He has gone on to earn two Gold PACT pins, a Meritorious Service Award and was named Best Team Player by his colleagues during Patient Access Week.
In his role: Mr. Wang documents and manages patient flow to help people get the care they need as quickly and efficiently as possible. Important projects he has undertaken include creating a quality assurance scorecard that measures registration accuracy and a process to improve denial rates by analyzing billing data and retraining front-line staff.
Finding his focus: “Coming to UT Southwestern has been a great change for me. I definitely learned a lot of things at my previous job that have helped me here, but I’ve developed a lot since I have been here too. I feel like I am doing something for the bigger picture, and it’s very fulfilling to contribute to that.”
Growth at UTSW: “I feel like this is a really good place to grow. While I’ve been here for a few years now, in a way, I’m just getting started too. I’m not exactly sure where I’ll end up. It could be a different department. But I definitely want to stay at UT Southwestern because it’s a very good organization to be a part of and I love it here.”
Off the clock: Mr. Wang has a variety of interests he pursues away from the job. He is an aspiring shutterbug, taking photographs and expanding into videography. He also loves playing board games with friends – not the standards like Monopoly and Scrabble but “the more obscure the better,” he said. In addition, Mr. Wong enjoys woodworking and taking on do-it-yourself projects with his family.
Hailey Wilshire LCSW, OSW-C
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Simmons Cancer Center at Moncrief Cancer Institute in Fort Worth
“Hailey is one of the most insightful social workers I have ever met. She continues to innovate and create new programs that benefit our team and patients.”
UTSW career: Ms. Wilshire joined UT Southwestern nearly five years ago to pursue her passion for supporting cancer patients and their families through what can be one of the most trying times of their lives.
In her role: In addition to connecting oncology patients and their loved ones with resources that, in many cases, they never knew existed, Ms. Wilshire has helped to build upon available support. She has worked with UTSW’s Palliative Care team to create an advance care planning project featured at the National Association of Social Workers conference earlier this year, developed an advance care webinar to help people make medical decisions and document their wishes. She also organized the Cancer Center Families Connected Event at the Fort Worth cancer center, to mention a few examples of the extra effort she makes.
Paying it forward: Ms. Wilshire is just as enthusiastic about mentoring new social workers as she is about taking care of her patients. She works with Texas Christian University interns, teaching them to meet the needs of patients, and in 2023 was named the institution’s Social Work Field Instructor of the Year.
On making a difference: “It’s a real privilege to be able to sit next to our patients and provide that listening ear … provide support and understanding when they need it most. It means a lot to do that, and UT Southwestern has helped me to grow professionally and personally over the past few years to be my best. Sometimes in health care you don’t have the opportunity to see the fruit of your labor. But when you see you’re really able to make a difference in a patient’s life, that’s what pushes me forward.”
Off the clock: A dedicated Texas Rangers fan, Ms. Wilshire watches as many games as she can and is elated that her favorite team won its first World Series championship this year. When she’s not watching baseball, she’s watching reality television shows or in her neighborhood walking her dogs, Jazzy and Marty.