20 YEARS AWARDS

Wow 20 years…that is more than half her supervisor’s age! She has been a very dedicated employee and has been in the same position from day one. She has survived four controllers and four CFO’s! As an Accounts Payable Clerk, she oversees and inputs all the invoices that come through her desk and then keeps track of each invoice until they are all paid. It is estimated that she has made about $400 million in payments in her 20 years of service. Even though her role is not known throughout the company, her work impacts every part of the organization and is key to our success. We thank Marie for her 20 years of service and her positive attitude in all she does for the VNAIC!

 

 

Kathy has been with the Agency as a Physical Therapist for a little over 20 years now; our longest employee at the Banning Branch.  She has participated on numerous committees and has been a reliable resource for our branch.  At present, she is participating in our Agency’s OBQI Committee.  Kathy has readily adapted to the growth and changes Banning has experienced over the years, never compromising her standards of quality patient care.  Letters constantly come in praising her and the impact she has had in our patients’ lives.  Patients truly enjoy her as their therapist, and management and staff truly appreciate her as a team player. She brings a wealth of knowledge to the table, and we are proud to have her with us.

 

Dorit has been a conscientious and dedicated employee for these past 20 years.  Her professionalism and pride in her job is unparalleled.  Her smile and unwavering positive attitude never fails to make those around her happy.  Dorit has been known to just stop her car on the side of the road and take a little walk because it was such a beautiful day outside.  She never fails to find the beauty and good in everything.  This zest for life is what makes her so special and what makes her patients and families love her so much.  Once Dorit has been there, it is hard for a family to have anyone else care for them.  Dorit is now semi-retired, as she calls it, and only works a few days a week. In those few days however, she can usually work circles around others half her age. We don’t know if Dorit will ever just “take it easy”, but when she does retire fully some day, she will be greatly missed by all of us in the Barstow office.  She is truly one of a kind.

 

During Laurie’s 20 years of service, she has graciously treated our patients in the most rural areas of the Coachella Valley.  Our Spanish speaking patients are always pleasantly surprised when Laurie walks through their door and can converse with them in fluent Spanish.  She is a loyal and dedicated employee and has rarely missed a day of work over her 20 years of service.  Laurie is an employee who will often take on extra visits to meet the needs of the patients.  Her demeanor is professional and compassionate.  She is well respected by her peers because of her experience and insightful contributions to patient care. Her attention to detail allows her to stay on track and formulate personalized care plans for her many patients. Laurie’s looks can be deceiving; although small framed, she is able to handle anything or anyone that comes her way!

 

 

Sandy came to the VNAIC in December of 1990.  She is reliable and dedicated in her care of the patients.  Sandy frequently receives praise from the patients and caregivers, stating she is very professional and friendly.  She takes the time to make sure the patient understands and can safely demonstrate the therapy tasks.  She provides each patient with a detailed hand-out of the exercise programs, using wording that they can understand. She works very well with the team and provides on-going education to the staff on therapeutic interventions for the clients.  Sandy is timely with her documentation and is proactive in looking ahead for any needs for the clients.  Sandy is always positive and has a happy attitude.  She is a true asset to the VNAIC team.

 

Sheryl started with the VNAIC in 1990 as our first non-contracted Social Worker for the Home Health Department in Victorville.  She covered both the Barstow and Victorville programs for several years seeing patients in some of the most remote areas.  Sheryl soon found the area of work that would become her true passion, bereavement.  She applied for the position of Hospice Social Worker, a position that also, at that time, included Bereavement Coordinator.  Sheryl was responsible for developing the bereavement materials and letters that are still sent to our bereaved families today.  In 2006 Sheryl had the opportunity to open the second Mourning Star Center for VNAIC and the first center in the Victor Valley area.  She soon went to Oregon to study with the renowned Dougy Center and worked hard to continue their model at the VNAIC Mourning Star Center.  The next year she was part of the team that organized Camp Erin.  Sheryl has been employee of the year and one of the VNAIC’s biggest champions.  She believes in the work the VNAIC does, and if there is an event to promote the VNAIC or the Mourning Star Center, you can bet Sheryl will be there.