Oncology Coworkers Honored with Humankindness Award

We want to congratulate several Infirmary coworkers on 3NW Oncology on receiving the Chick-fil-A Humankindness Award! Mohammad Alserhan, Nadine Baxter, Vivian Fitzhugh, Henri Pinon, Chika Tobi, Sherrice Davis, Chelsea Hogan, Yda Balensoy and Michelle McNespey were all honored for their compassionate care of an end-stage sarcoma patient. Here’s what the patient’s mother had to say:

“There are always a few nurses who stand out as exceptional, not only in their skills but in showing care and compassion to the patient and their family. I wanted to recognize these caregivers … who mean the world to us. Nadine Baxter made herself available to me anytime I had questions. Her office door was always open, and she welcomed me anytime I came to her for advice. Secondly, Mohammad Alserhan, floor nurse leader, didn’t just sit behind his desk in his office all day. He answered every question we had and went the extra mile to help any way he could. He is a nurse leader who is willing to work alongside of and strive to better his team.

“Now this next group were the caregivers we saw day-to-day, week after week. These are the ones that made our ordeal bearable; they were the bright spot in our days. Vivian Fitzhugh, Henri, Pinion, Chika Tobi, Sherrice Davis, Chelsea Hogan, Yda Balensoy, and our favorite tech, Michelle McNespey.

“One incident that stands out as an example of your extraordinary caregivers on 3NW. My son’s 39th birthday fell on the week he was admitted for his fourth round of chemo. It would be much later in the evening before all the family could come see him. Mohammad, Henri, Vivian and several other caregivers came in his room with a birthday cake and sang happy birthday to him. These nurses cared and went that extra mile to show my son that he wasn’t just another room number. He was special, someone’s son, someone’s husband, and someone’s father. I would gladly give them all gold medals if I could!”

What an amazing story of positive impact we can have on the people who come in our hospital just by taking the time to treat them with respect and care. Thank you to everyone on 3NW for your outstanding work! Also, a big thank you to Chick-fil-A at Markham and University for sponsoring the Chick-fil-A Humankindness Award.