Models of service excellence: The latest Strauss Award winners
Congratulations to the latest recipients of the Diana and Richard C. Strauss Service Excellence Awards.
The winners for the fourth quarter of 2024 were celebrated during a virtual event on Feb. 28 hosted by Jonathan Efron, M.D., Executive Vice President for Health System Affairs.
Once each quarter, six Health System team members are nominated by their peers for exemplifying excellence and professionalism on the job.
Three things 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.
Watch: Dr. Efron honors winners during the virtual event.
Mercy Alexander, M.S.N., RN, AMB-BC
RN Supervisor
Mineral Metabolism Clinic
“Her sacrificing nature is reflected in all the things she does. She has earned great respect in the community and at her place of work.”
UTSW career: Mrs. Alexander celebrated her third anniversary at UT Southwestern at the beginning of March, coming to us after working for 29 years at Parkland Health. “I had the opportunity; I couldn’t pass it up.”
In her role: She works in the Mineral Metabolism Clinic, which specializes in treating and researching calcium disorders, hyperthyroidism, and kidney stone disease. Her job involves ensuring the clinic runs smoothly, which includes arranging proper staffing and formulating action plans for the day’s scheduled cases. Beyond her primary responsibilities, Mrs. Alexander has developed a structure for onboarding and training new employees, and she worked with her manager to develop strategies that have enhanced team performance and customer satisfaction scores.
What she loves most about her job: “We work with an elderly patient population and many of them just need a listening ear … someone who can be there for them and help guide them through the process. I love being that person, to bring them comfort and let them know that they’re going to be taken care of.”
Hail to the champ: Mrs. Alexander has been recognized as a Compliance Champion – and she is known as the eyes and ears of her clinic, where she’s helped to develop workflow strategies and practices that ensure patient safety.
A fresh DAISY: Mrs. Alexander has received numerous honors, including being named in February as UT Southwestern’s latest winner of the DAISY Leader Award. Her past accolades include being named to the DFW Great 100 Nurses list and a recipient of a D Magazine Excellence in Nursing Award for her leadership.
Off the clock: She finds fulfillment giving her time to church activities and charities, including Meals on Wheels, the North Texas Food Bank, and Sacred Hands of Hope India Ministries.
Travis Gilmore, B.S.N., RN
RN II, Rapid Response Team
Clements University Hospital
“Travis is truly a gift to our team, our organization, and to future generations of nurses. His tireless dedication, exceptional leadership, and unwavering commitment to excellence make him an invaluable asset to us.”
UTSW career: With more than 20 years of experience, Mr. Gilmore has a well-earned reputation as a leader within the Rapid Response Team (RRT) and in the Emergency Department, where he’s a teacher, a facilitator, and a communicator, keeping his colleagues ready for any challenge that may arise.
In his role: When an emergency occurs within the walls or on the grounds of Clements University Hospital, from a Code Blue to a Code Stroke or respiratory distress, the RRT is called in to stabilize the situation.
Special delivery: “One memory that will always stand out to me is responding to a page at our front valet area. Upon arrival to a parked car, we found a young woman in active labor. We were able to assist her and the young father with delivering their first child. Usually, our goal is to save lives. It was something extra special that day to be able to help bring a new one into the world.”
That’s excellent: Among Mr. Gilmore’s contributions to promoting excellence, he has drafted a departmental standard operating procedure on management of post-fall hospital patients and advocated for his department to procure spinal boards and cervical collars for timely interventions. He’s also a dedicated preceptor, mentor, role model, and a super-user for point-of-care testing.
Calm in a storm: Praised for his leadership and communication skills, Mr. Gilmore is known for his ability to de-escalate tension that can arise during a crisis and foster teamwork to arrive at the best outcome for patients. With more than 20 years of experience, he has a reputation as a remarkable charge nurse and as an excellent resource for his crew and the Emergency Department as a whole, keeping things organized and composed.
Off the clock: In his community, Mr. Gilmore donates his time and financial support to Feed My Starving Children and the North Texas Food Bank. After serving seven years in the U.S. Air Force as a flight medic, he also works with veterans’ support groups, including Carry The Load.
Laura Johnson, M.S.N., RN, CMSRN, NPD-BC
Nurse Professional Development Practitioner
Clinical Education and Professional Development
“Laura’s efforts to transform nursing education at UTSW have been exceptional. Her leadership in the development of the competency management process has been vital to optimizing the educational process across the organization.”
UTSW career: Ms. Johnson has worked at UT Southwestern for two years, quickly making a positive impression on her colleagues with her ability to coach nurses and help them maximize their skills.
In her role: She supports the oncology nurses on the 11th floor at Clements University Hospital, helping staff to stay current on the newest equipment and techniques by managing continuing education and helping to advance their knowledge.
What she loves about her job: “I like everything about my job. But what I really love is the teaching – in person and virtually. I just love connecting with the people on the floor. A big part of my life is developing the curriculum and helping nurses enhance their skills.”
A leader in her field: Ms. Johnson has gained national recognition as host of the official podcast of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses Association, and she published an article on palliative care for its newsletter, the Med-Surg Monitor.
Going national: “I’ve been working on the Competency Management Team for the past two years. Work is still ongoing, but it was recently recognized nationally for our progress, so we’re going to be presenting at the Nursing Professional Development Conference in April.”
Off the clock: Ms. Johnson uses her organizational skills to create scrapbooks, memory books, and journals. She loves to travel, and when she returns, she logs her memories of her journeys to memorialize the occasion.
Chutoniayia Lacie
Patient Access Representative II
Clements University Hospital Admissions
“People like her brighten the world and inspire those around them with their kindness and compassion. Her humility and warmth leave a lasting impression, reminding us of the positive impact one person can have.”
UTSW career: Celebrating 15 years at UT Southwestern in March, Ms. Lacie originally started at the former St. Paul University Hospital, working the weekend shift in patient transportation. A compassionate listener who makes patients and their families feel confident and at ease, she eventually found her true calling in Admissions.
In her role: Ms. Lacie’s is one of the first faces patients and their family members see when they arrive at CUH for pre-surgical testing and neurological or cardiac procedures. She plays a key role in helping people feel comfortable and navigating them to their destination.
What she loves about her job: “Every patient has a different story, and every interaction is different. I love to hear about all of them, and I think we can all learn something from each other if we listen. That’s what I love about coming to work every day.”
Noteworthy accomplishments: She has earned Gold PACT pins each of the last three years – which is a total of 48 recognitions for providing excellent service to UT Southwestern, its patients, and their families. One person recently wrote: “Chutoniayia was kind, patient, and thorough, helping me feel at ease before my surgery. Thank you for this experience.”
Remarkable compassion: Ms. Lacie is just as enterprising in her charitable endeavors and spends much of her free time assembling care packages that include socks, toiletries, and other necessities. She keeps them in her car and distributes them when she encounters those in need. Last year, just before Christmas, she found an encampment of homeless people and provided them with sleeping bags, food, and other items.
Off the clock: Bling is her thing, and Ms. Lacie enjoys turning everyday cups or other household items into works of art by decorating them with sparkly baubles. It’s her way of bringing a little bit of personality and pleasure into life to lift the spirits of those around her.
Ying Ma, Ph.D., M.H.A.
Senior Quality Improvement Analyst
Health System Quality and Operational Excellence
“Ying approaches every challenge with a positive attitude, viewing each request as an opportunity for learning and growth. She is deeply passionate about her work and committed to achieving the best possible outcomes.”
UTSW career: Dr. Ma has worked at UT Southwestern for more than five years, arriving after previous career stops at Parkland Health and a small analytics company. She appreciates working for a large organization because she loves to be involved in a variety of projects and the opportunity to coach up-and-coming colleagues.
In her role: When caregivers, administrators, and other leaders face complex issues, they turn to our quality improvement analysts, who examine intricate data to identify trends and find evidence-based solutions. Dr. Ma combines her remarkable analytical skills with compassion, communication, and leadership to elevate the teams she works with and UTSW as a whole.
Her favorite part of her job: “The biggest reward for an analyst is when our analysis has made a difference in our health system, our patients, and our progress. As analysts, we don’t always see how our work has helped, or which insights we provided have been useful in revealing issues and developing intervention strategies. So, when your customers and project champions reach out and tell you that your work provided clarity or helped to steer the boat in a better direction, that is the greatest day to me.”
Constant contributor: Dr. Ma touches many parts of UTSW with her work. Among her many contributions: She has played a key role in building predictive models to assess the impact factors in operating room efficiency; worked on a cancer research project with the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health that resulted in an abstract and a forthcoming manuscript; and helped to secure necessary staff to maximize efforts of inpatient wound care. Her work on the concept of “progressive sepsis,” has raised awareness among physicians about how sepsis develops in a hospital setting, helping them to manage it in more effective ways, and leading to the creation of UTSW’s Physician Review Task Force.
Beyond the numbers: “I feel the way I am appreciated most is when I am able to provide insight and recommendations because of my experience. The research is not meaningful if our work does not provide value to other people.”
Off the clock: Outside of work, Dr. Ma joins friends at her church to offer grassroots services to people in need. That includes cooking meals for the hungry, driving those without transportation to medical appointments, and doing anything else she can to help those around her. She also donates her time and energy to a variety of charities, including the North Texas Food Bank, Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, and Operation Kindness.
LeAnn Shearburn, M.S., CCC-SLP, CBIS
Speech Language Pathologist
Inpatient Rehabilitation Therapy
“LeAnn has seamlessly continued to provide excellent care to our high-acuity patients at Zale Lipshy. She advocates for her patients and looks for new ways to provide functional therapy.”
UTSW career: Ms. Shearburn will celebrate nine years with UT Southwestern in April. She primarily works with brain injury patients, typically treating six individuals a day in hourlong sessions that add up to tremendous progress in helping people reclaim their lives after a devastating health setback.
In her role: She cares for people who have suffered traumatic accidents, strokes, or brain tumors, or who are recovering from surgery. She works to help patients regain their speech and cognitive skills, including executive function, memory, and problem-solving abilities.
What she loves about her job: “There have been so many great days and memorable moments through the years that remind me why I do what I do. Whether it is a patient being able to say, ‘I love you’ to their family members for the first time, or getting to eat their favorite meal after being NPO (unable to eat solid food) for weeks, it never gets old.”
Always an advocate: Ms. Shearburn is always ready to be the voice for patients with a special need or to give her teammates the information and resources they need to do their jobs to the best of their ability. She regularly reaches out to leadership with concerns, always coming prepared with ideas for a solution.
Communication, contribution, collaboration, and compassion: A vital member of the Disorders of Consciousness Task Force, Ms. Shearburn provides one-on-one teaching to newer therapists and has completed in-services with the entire Speech Language Pathology team. She also serves on the Clinical Ladder Committee and is always enthusiastic about helping therapists reach their goals.
Off the clock: “I taught myself hand embroidery. It was my New Year’s resolution to teach myself or pick up a new hobby. Besides that, I’m active with my church and I like to garden.”