Bravo Award Recipients - October 2024

The October 2024 Bravo Award winners (top left, clockwise): Margaret “Susie” Brooks, Erica Cleary, Shamitra Lewis, Rex Martin, Ashley Matthews and Rebecca Nosich.

It's a pleasure to again announce this quarters Bravo Award winners. All of our colleagues are critical in helping us care for our patients and families on a daily basis. We appreciate each and every member of our teams and the actions of the group below were especially noteworthy to their peers.

We're fortunate to recognize a large number of people who represent diverse aspects of our patient care team. Our winners this quarter include:

Margaret Susie Brooks, RN, The Woodlands. Susie is a beloved member of the Woodlands Infusion Center team and is the first to be proactive when it comes to our patients' needs. Her ability to anticipate their needs (at times even before the patient or family realizes) is a testament to her tremendous experience and knowledge as an amazing bedside nurse. Her compassion for every single one of her patients is evident in the extra mile she is willing to go for them in every interaction. Whether she is making sure a patient's anti-emetics are optimized (based on her prior experience of taking care of the patient), or working with a physician to safely ensure the patient is able to finish their infusion in the outpatient setting- she is a true champion of leading with empathy.

Erica Cleary, ASR II, West Campus. Erica is an integral member of our West Campus clinic team. She serves in a critical frontline triage role as the first person they see when they check in and the last person they see before leaving. She is an excellent resource for families who have questions and is always able to direct them to the correct person to address those. If anyone asks her for assistance she generously stops what she is doing to efficiently prioritize whatever is needed. Her support of our medical team is greatly appreciated by every member of the group.

Shamitra Lewis, Departmental Assistant, Main Campus. In her role as a Departmental Assistant for our inpatient spaces Shamitra embodies our core values through her exemplary professional conduct, collaborative spirit, and unwavering dedication to patient- and family-centered care. Her help in all aspects across our three inpatient floors and her ability to juggle diverse responsibilities demonstrates her commitment to operational excellence and team support. Her positive attitude and can-do approach are infectious, even in the face of challenges. Shamitra's outstanding work ethic and willingness to assist with various projects underscores her invaluable role in our units.

Rex Martin, ASCP (CG), Main Campus. Rex is an excellent employee in the Cytogenetics Lab who works very well with our team, always volunteers to perform extra duties, and stays late to process samples because of his belief in patient care. He forms strong positive relationships with his co-workers, as well as staff members from all other labs, nurses, dispatch personnel and physicians in order streamline sample processing, correct test orders as needed and troubleshoot any issues that arise. He is an excellent teacher, is very patient, and spends as much time as needed to train fellows, students and new employees.

Ashley Matthews, MEd, Main Campus. Ashley was the first person hired into our newly created School Coordinator position. She quickly took ownership of this role and developed it to its fullest potential. Now it's impossible to imagine how we ever functioned without her! She is accessible, efficient, knowledgeable, energetic, caring, and has a bright and friendly manner that make her a joy to work with. She spends extra time with families to address whatever needs they have in any phase of their child's treatment. She is also involved in meaningful interactions with school personnel to ensure a patient's needs are met. Ashley's work with families brings great comfort to them during a very difficult time in their lives.

Rebecca Nosich, RN, Main Campus. Rebecca is a fantastic, compassionate and caring nurse on our inpatient units as evidenced by her interactions with patients and families as well as the healthcare team. She advocates for her patients at all times with great attention to detail and a respectful tone to bring their concerns to the notice of the medical teams. Her professionalism, especially in stressful situations, is commendable and she always has her patient's best interests at heart. Rebecca meets challenges head on and is proactive in ensuring patient needs are met.