Congratulations to Katie Dietz and Grazyna Purwin who were selected to receive this quarter's Staff Recognition Awards based on their glowing nominations.
Katie, a research program manager in the Division of General Internal Medicine, the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research and the Johns Hopkins Center to Eliminate Cardiovascular Health Disparities, began as a clinical research interventionist at ProHealth in 2008 where she worked on the POWER Trail, managing a caseload of adult participants diagnosed with obesity-related chronic disease, leading group classes and conducting individual weight management counseling sessions utilizing motivational interviewing. She then moved on to the ACHIEVE trail team where she not only revised the intervention curriculum to to improve participant comprehension and enjoyment, but instructed low impact aerobics classes to participants with serious mental illnesses. For the past five years, she has worked with the Center to Eliminate Cardiovascular Health Disparities where she is now one of only two managers of a trial involving 30 practices and 1,890 patients across Maryland. She helps to further the center's missions through her involvement in workgroups on the center's community advisory board, even becoming the point of contact of one of the center's largest studies. "Katie is a highly valuable, reliable, hardworking and committed employee who can be trusted to handle complex technical issues related to our clinical research program as well as sensitive interpersonal issues involving research study participants, trainees, faculty members, and other staff," wrote Lisa Cooper, professor in GIM and director of the center.
Grazyna, a research program coordinator in the Division of Rheumatology, joined her team in November 2014. In a relatively short period of time, she has managed to dazzle her supervisors and colleagues with her attention to detail, completing over 329 patient consents while also learning EPIC and even aspects of clinical care in order to ensure the highest quality of data documentation, despite the complex new patient chart preparation and case report forms. Grazyna willingly takes on shared responsibilities and extends her working hours in order to accommodate patients. This has aided her in growing studies twice as fast as the average and enabled patients who wouldn't normally have been able to participate to benefit from being part of the trail. "Honestly I cannot imagine our operation without this outstanding staff member,"wrote Michelle Jones, senior research coordinator. "She has proven herself to be one of the most valuable members of our team."
Other notable nominees include:
- Melissa Andrews, research service analyst in the Division of Geriatrics
- Ashley Averella, nurse clinician in Nelson 6
- Jacki Christopher, facilities service coordinator
- Mike Franitza, senior finance analyst in the DOM Chairman’s Office
- Catherine Guacena, nurse clinician in Nelson 6
- Christian Hartman, financial manager in the Division of Gastroenterology
- Christina Knieriem, financial manager in the Division of Infectious Diseases
- Candy Nigrin, medical office coordinator for General Internal Medicine at Green Spring Station
- Tammy Noethen, senior administrative coordinator in the Johns Hopkins Bayview Chairman’s Office
- Ellen Reather, administrative specialist in the DOM Chairman’s Office
- Terri Rigsby, senior administrative coordinator in the Johns Hopkins Bayview Chairman’s Office
- Gabriela Smit, senior research analyst for the JHU Center for Clinical Global Health Education
- Christine Smith, senior clinical nurse in the Bayview Pulmonary Clinic
- Sarah Smith, nurse educator in Nelson 6
- Shone Sterner, clinical program coordinator for the Johns Hopkins Travel Health Program and the Tropical Medicine Ambulatory Consult Service
- Glendora Williams, senior administrative coordinator in the Division of General Internal Medicine
- Christine Zambrana, nurse clinician in Nelson 6
A huge thank you goes out to these and all of the hardworking individuals who make up our department.
Know a colleague who deserves to be recognized? Keep an eye out for the next call for nominations in June 2016.
