BMH Announces 2015 Employees of the Year

To cap off a week’s worth of employee recognition events in celebration of National Hospital Week, Steve Gordon, President and CEO of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital invited all hospital staff to join him for an ice cream social where he announced BMH’s 2015 Employees of the Year.

Departing from BMH’s tradition of naming one employee for the honor each year, two employees were named for 2015. According to Gordon, “Their nominations from colleagues described qualities we all appreciate in our co-workers and to which we should aspire ourselves,”

Described as “positive, helpful, knowledgeable, dedicated, caring and skilled,” the two award winners were celebrated for their commitment to patient care and exceptional standards of professionalism.

Julie Stoughton, Steven R. Gordon, President and CEO, Shenandoah (Shen) Gilbert

Co-awardee Julie Stoughton, Lead Endoscopy Technician in BMH’s Perioperative Services Department has been at BMH for twelve years. Noted for her positive outlook and calm demeanor, Stoughton is vigilant about patient safety and comfort and is admired for going beyond to exceed the expectations of patients and colleagues alike. Always prepared for patients coming in for procedures, Stoughton is known for her warm and cheerful greetings, putting patients instantly at ease and creating a calm and serene working environment for her colleagues. Stoughton is active in the community; playing with the American Legion Band and volunteering with Rescue Inc.

“Being nominated by your colleagues is perhaps the greatest honor that any employee can receive,” said Stoughton. “My BMH family shows me every day how special they are by their hard work and dedication. I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to interact with patients directly. When people come to BMH for procedures they are usually quite anxious, so my favorite part of dealing with them is trying to relax them by showing them kindness and compassion.”

Co-awardee Shen (Shenandoah) Gilbert has been a Receptionist at Brattleboro Internal Medicine, a member practice of the BMH Physician Group, for the last five years and is considered by her co-workers to be a major contributor to the daily operations of the practice. She regularly receives unsolicited compliments from patients and clinicians about her helpfulness and professionalism. Committed to service excellence and providing a positive experience for every patient, Gilbert leads by example and has provided training and support to many other colleagues. She lives in Vernon with her two sons, Kade and Reis, and is very active in her children’s education, sports and recreational activities.

“This makes me feel appreciated and like I’m part of a great team,” said Gilbert, who cited her direct contact with patients as one of the most rewarding parts of her job. “I love the fact that I know our patients well and they know me — or when I greet a patient by their first name and they smile as they are pleasantly surprised that I remember them.”

After presenting Stoughton and Gilbert with flowers and gifts, Gordon wrapped up the recognition ceremony by expressing his appreciation to all BMH employees for their commitment to providing excellent patient care and customer service.