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Featured Staff

Nurses of the Year

Each year, Mercy Hospital recognizes three outstanding nurses.

In 2011, Chris Anderson was named as Nurse of Distinction, Tammi Caltagironeas Outstanding Nursing Aide, Cara Simmons as Outstanding Unit Clerk and Erino (Rino) Fabrizi as Outstanding Angio Technician.

Chris Anderson
Nurse of Distinction

From left, Mercy President & CEO C.J. Urlaub; Tammi Caltagirone; Chris Anderson; Cara Simmons; Kathleen Guarino, VP of Patient Care Services; and Erino (Rino) Fabrizi

LOVE Award Winners

The staff members below have been awarded the LOVE Award, a quarterly designation that recognizes Mercy Hospital associates who demonstrate a personal commitment to our values in their daily work.

Anyone can nominate an associate for the LOVE award – patients, visitors, family members, physicians, volunteers and co-workers.

Meet our most recent award-winners below:

Norma Rodriguez

2011 – Second Quarter

ER Secretary Norma Rodriguez was nominated for the LOVE Award as a result of the compassion and kindness she showed to a mother whose 13-year old daughter was receiving emergency treatment. The mother was overcome with fear, grief, and sadness. Spanish being her first language, she was not fluent in English. When Norma arrived to translate, she immediately formed a bond with the patient's mother.

Her co-worker stated, "Norma showed a good balance of manifesting compassion for the mother while acknowledging the seriousness of the situation. She showed inner strength in leading the mother (and the father when he arrived) through the process, letting them know what would happen next, and helping them know what to do. Norma showed selflessness and courage in controlling her own emotions so that she could minister effectively to the parents."

Marsha Trawinski

2011 – First Quarter

A Catholic Health employee for over 30 years, Marsha was nominated for the LOVE Award for her kindness and her willingness to give to both co-workers and associates.

A co-worker said of Marsha, "She is hosting educational trainings on how associates can be positive to one another, even in difficult situations. She has trained over seventy associates to uphold the core values of the hospital and create a more positive environment at Mercy Hospital. She exemplifies positive work ethic, caring and compassion."

Karen Mack

2010 – Third Quarter Winner

Karen Mack, Health Information Management (HIM) chart analyst, received the LOVE Award in the third quarter. A member of the Spirit of Mercy Workgroup, she was recognized for her thoughtfulness and her work on raffle baskets to benefit the Helping Hands Fund, which provides financial assistance to associates who are experiencing a significant financial hardship.

Co-workers who nominated Karen said, "She goes above and beyond to help anyone she can. She is a very kind and generous person who will go out of her way to do things. "

David Piesczynski

2010 – Second Quarter Winner

David Piesczynski, a Housekeeper in Environmental Services, stood out for being an extremely diligent worker with careful attention to detail. 

"This is an extremely diligent and dedicated employee. The service that David provides every day, all day, is certainly an expression of the values of Catholic Health," said an observer. "When he leaves an area that he has cleaned, it is pristeen and has a showroom shine...His heart is in his work and he takes pride in making Mercy Hospital a cleaner place to be."

Cynthia Gates

2010 – First Quarter Winner

Cynthia Gates, a Social Worker in the Care Management Department, was nominated for the LOVE award after she assisted a family in placing their loved one in a nursing home.

A friend of the family states, "It is my understanding that Cindy got involved in this case late in the game after the patient was already placed into a nursing home that the family found to be objectionable. She took charge of the situation and swiftly found an alternative nursing home that was more than satisfactory to my friend and his family. They had high praise for how Cindy handled the situation and how she treated them."