Home » Locations » Hospitals » Mercy Hospital of Buffalo » Featured Staff

Featured Staff

2013 Nurse of the Year

Joan Vetter, RN, BSN
7 McAuley West Cardiovascular Unit
Nurse of Distinction

Angels of Mercy

This recognition program is a way for patients or their families to honor a Mercy caregiver who has stood out or made a difference for them during their hospital stay.

Angel of Mercy contributions are made to the Mercy Hospital Foundation as a tribute to the caregiver; the honorees are later presented an Angel of Mercy pin during a special ceremony on the patient care unit where they work.

The program is administered through the Mission Integration Office. Any associate, physician can be honored as an Angel of Mercy.

Click here to learn how you can recognize an Angel of Mercy.

Wendy Byer, RN

Wendy Byer, an RN in the Intensive Care Unit, receives the Angel of Mercy pin from Mercy President & CEO C.J. Urlaub

Dr. Catherine Falkner

Dr. Catherine Falkner received the Angel of Mercy Award after a patient, Amy, shared how Dr. Falkner provided comfort when Amy's unborn baby passed away.

Amy wrote:

"My doctor wasn’t on call that night, yet I cried out for her. I needed my doctor; no other would do. One of the nurses called my doctor at home and told her what had happened. She got out of bed and drove to the hospital to be there for and with me. She did my C-section that night; her first C-section with a stillborn.

My doctor was/is one of the best, caring and most authentic doctors I have ever met. She spent time listening, answering, and asking questions during my pregnancy, and she never made me feel rushed.

As the one year anniversary of Allison’s death approaches, I feel an overwhelming awareness of how lucky I am/was to have this woman as my doctor. She is/was the person and spirit that I needed so that I would be able to safely accept and process my grief. "

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:

Barbara LeCounte

2011 – Fourth Quarter

Barbara LeCounte, Manager of the Central Transport Department, was nominated by a co-worker who said that she is "one of the most understanding and personable managers that I have ever had the pleasure of working for."

"She has an open door policy to talk to her employees about anything they need to talk/vent about, and she takes the time out of her day to personally thank and congratulate her workers for the jobs that they do. She always has a smile on her face, and even if she is in the middle of doing something, she would drop everything just to speak to you and help you through whatever you need."

Bill Korthals

2011 – Third Quarter

Bill Korthals, Spiritual Care Manager, was nominated for going above and beyond the call of duty.

"Bill is accessible to anyone. Bill listens to everyone. Bill treats everyone with the most dignity. Whenever there is an issue, concern or problem, he makes sure the entire department is aware and understands. Bill is always there to assist the hospital in times of need for Helping Hands, both financially and of his time. Bill is aware of the changing demographics at Mercy Hospital, and at our “Interfaith Prayer Service of Remembrance,” Bill revised the Book of Prayers to reflect the same “Interfaith demographics”. Bill is a team player and should be recognized for his large part of making the team whole."

Dr. Randy Hobbs

2011 – Third Quarter

Dr. Randy Hobbs was recognized as being a caring and compassionate doctor. The person who nominated Dr. Hobbs said:

"No matter when he is called, he comes to the floor to care for his patients. He has a fantastic bedside manner and always makes sure that his patients are his first priority. Every night, we feel at ease knowing that he is on duty."

The nomination stated that Dr. Hobbs deserves the LOVE Award for his commitment to Catholic Health, his patients and his co-workers.

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."