Everyday DOM recognizes faculty, staff and trainees who embody our core values in the work they do every day in celebration of our Mission, Vision and Values. To see past winners, click here.
Barbara Brigade, administrative coordinator in the Division of Hospital Medicine, is the first line of support to 50+ physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and is lovingly referred to as the division’s “Den Mother.” She ensures providers never miss licensure renewals or other compliance requirements, handles any issues the providers have while working clinically, runs errands in her own time, cleans fridges, hauls stuff--there is no job she won’t do in support of the providers and practice. She sets up overnight rooms in the division’s administrative suite–beds, pillows, blankets, food--so providers have a place to sleep during bad weather allowing them to be there for patients. She does all this without complaint and with calm, positivity, warmth, an unfailing sense of humor and a smile. Barb will be retiring from the university this fall, and her presence and light will be sorely missed.
Zahira Clark, senior medical office coordinator in the Johns Hopkins Myositis Center leads by example, ensuring all patients feel like part of an extended family. Since hiring her, the center has received frequent praise for its excellent service. Gone are the days of feeling like a number in a queue. Whenever possible, the phone is answered immediately to provide excellent customer service. When not possible to field all calls at once, patients receive timely calls back. Zahira leads the team in the effort to enhance the center's mission to alleviate suffering. Even the most frantic call is diffused because of her sympathetic and caring ear. She realizes the urgency in the call, and comforts each and every patient. It is this type of exemplary patient-centered care that sets the center apart from competitors.
Kelly Hueter and Briana Rosen are coordinators for the Jerome L. Greene Sjogren’s Syndrome Center, each with ten years of experience working for Johns Hopkins. Both are deserving of high praise, given how well they work as a team and excel in their service to patients. They are the first point of contact for patients nationally, seeking an evaluation for an often mysterious illness with varied symptoms and involvement of multiple organ systems. For new patients, they coordinate evaluations that may span two days, including visits with multiple providers and specialized testing. For all patients, they are the go-to people who help with medical insurance concerns, schedule treatment infusions, arrange follow-up appointments and forward messages to providers. Patients repeatedly sing their praise, commenting on how helpful they have been in coordinating care and treatment at Hopkins.
Kaye Weddington-Malone, supervisor, JHU Cardiology at Columbia/Odenton, is a natural-born leader who encourages individuality while building a strong team. Her actions focus on the success of the team as a whole over her own interests. Due to her integrity, Kaye provides clear direction and has little problem gaining compliance from staff. When the team and her fellow peers are in need of her assistance, she does not hesitate to step up and make herself available. Kaye consistently contributes to the general good of the division, honors her commitments and keeps her promises. For her uncompromising fairness and dignity, she has earned the unfailing respect and trust of the staff, physicians and our patients.
To nominate your employees for future Everyday DOM posts, please submit one paragraph explaining how he/she upholds our core values along with a photo. Please submit nominations to medicinematters@jhmi.edu.
Core Values
- Respect: We promote an atmosphere of respect and admiration for our patients, colleagues and communities. We value the diversity among people, their ideas and their points of view, and engage in direct and open communication.
- Integrity: Our values are not just hollow words. We uphold these values consistently each day and reinforce them with action. We believe in what we do and work hard to improve the state of the department and the surrounding community. We are committed to the promises we make to our patients and to one another.
- Service: As our mission states: we are people serving people to promote health and alleviate suffering locally and globally. We consider it our duty to explore innovative ways to deliver safe, effective and exceptional care to our patients, to support the well-being of our colleagues, and to serve communities both inside and outside of Hopkins.
- Equity: We are a department made up of diverse individuals with differing races, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, backgrounds and talents. We work to ensure the equity and equality of each of our employees and demand the same fairness for our patients that Johns Hopkins himself insisted upon.
- Excellence: Our department was founded on excellence, and we will never stop striving for greatness. We promote personal and professional development to help the talented individuals that make up our department shine in order to benefit Hopkins, Baltimore and the world.
