Hot Springs Central Sterilization Team Receives Service Hero Award

Congratulations to the Central Sterilization team in Hot Springs for being recognized as Service Heroes. Read a snip from their nomination below.

“I would like to nominate the Central Sterilization department for a TEAM Service Hero Award. Since the implementation of our Project SEARCH program in Hot Springs, this team has been a champion of the work that we are doing with this extraordinary group of young adults. Though our entire hospital has seemed to welcome these interns with open arms, the Central Sterile department has gone above and beyond to embrace these individuals. From the very first day that we announced that Project SEARCH was coming to Hot Springs, Rhonda Mayfield reached out to me to see how they could help with the program. We worked very closely with Rhonda and Chelsea Hoover to develop a structured internship in their work area. The coworkers in that department have made all of the interns feel very welcome and have embraced them to the point that these interns feel as though they are a part of that team. They provide support to the interns on a daily basis and have cultivated relationships with the Project SEARCH job coaches and interns.

Part of Living our Mission at CHI St. Vincent includes providing service to the poor and vulnerable. The interns that participate in the Project SEARCH program are afforded an opportunity to learn transferable job skills that lead to competitive employment. Our success in this program is measured by employment outcomes. To date, there have been two interns that have circulated through the Central Sterile department and BOTH of those young men have found employment at CHI. Tamar Jernigan was offered a full time position in the Central Sterilization department and Collin Pearson was offered a full time position in the Nutritional Services department. This is no coincidence. Yes, these young men worked hard to earn these positions, but with the right amount of support in the ideal intern site, they were provided a strong foundation that has set them up for success.

Central Sterilization is truly #livingourmission.”