Ade Auste

By Steve Lansdale

In a nursing job, tears often come with the territory. But Ade Auste recalls a bonding moment that prompted tears of joy – and relief.

“In the early 1990s, for more than a month I took care of a patient who was on the heart transplant list,” says Ms. Auste, a Registered Nurse II who started at UT Southwestern as a Coronary Care Unit Staff Nurse. “I was working the night shift when we got the notification that there was a donor who was a match. He, his wife, and I started crying together.

“When you get to that level with patient interaction, it makes you say, ‘This is what nursing is about.’ You get incredible satisfaction from something like that.”

Ms. Auste now serves in surgery preparation and recovery at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital.

“In day surgery, we get some inpatients who are already in the hospital,” she says, “but most of our patients are prescheduled outpatients, so we see a variety.”

Ms. Auste has been in her current position for seven years – 5½ at St. Paul and the past year and a half at Clements University Hospital. She spent several years in an education program, helping to run nursing internships for new graduates, before returning to floor nursing. She also has done cardiac rehabilitation with patients who have needed help recovering from heart-related procedures.

Through all of her years at UT Southwestern, Ms. Ade says that real gratification has come when patients show their appreciation for her work. “I have had former patients who have to come back for additional procedures, and some of them will ask for me to take care of them,” she says. “That means a great deal to me.”

Linda Catterton

By Steve Lansdale

It has been said that those who are best at their jobs are the ones who feel truly passionate about some aspect of their chosen professions.

Linda Catterton, a Lactation Consultant at the Women’s Resource Center at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, is driven by her passion and belief in the value of breastfeeding, which started after she became a mother for the first time.

“I really do care about breastfeeding, and know it makes a difference,” she says. “The miracle of life had a lot to do with that. I have taught breastfeeding and baby care classes, but I prefer one-on-one interaction, and most rewarding is the knowing that new moms appreciate the help to make breastfeeding successful.”

In her 35-year career as a Registered Nurse, she has won numerous awards, including the Meritorious Service Award and the Diana and Richard C. Strauss Service Excellence Award. In 2013, she was named to the DFW Great 100 Nurses list, an honor for nurses nominated by their peers as role models noted for significant contributions to the profession.

Ms. Catterton says she loves her career and would like people to know her as someone who “never tires of her job.”

Away from work, Ms. Catterton enjoys spending time with friends and family, which includes Bill (her husband of 39 years), two grown children, two grandchildren, and her family dog, Atticus, a rescue from the Humane Society “who might be a lab/corgi mix” and “makes my life more complete.”

Yolanda Delira

By Steve Lansdale

It’s hard to imagine a compliment delivered with more genuine gratitude than the one Yolanda Delira received one day on the job at UT Southwestern.

Ms. Delira, a Patient Interviewer in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology for the past eight years, has spent her entire career working in various capacities related to family planning.

“When I was working in the Children and Youth Program, I met a 15-year-old girl who was pregnant,” she says. “I saw her, her sister, her mom – I became really close with that family. Then, years later, she brought her daughter to see me. Her daughter was also 15 and pregnant. Her daughter didn’t know what to do, but her mother told her to come see me and said, ‘She’ll take care of you.’

“I love my patients,” Ms. Delira says. “When they see me, they hug me. I’m like a family member.”

Ms. Delira’s ability to speak to patients – in both English and Spanish – and her caring nature have made her a valuable asset in family planning. “I talk to them about all kinds of things,” she says. “Birth control options, hysterectomies, helping after domestic violence or sexual abuse … there’s a lot to explain.”

Being bilingual and a confidant to countless women has brought other offers her way, but Ms. Delira said she can’t imagine working elsewhere.

“I love UT Southwestern,” Ms. Delira says. “It makes me feel so important when I tell people I work here. I love helping patients, and I love working here.” Her family includes husband, Salvador, and two adult children – daughter, Adriana, and son, Cristian.

José Luis Hernandez 

By Steve Lansdale

When José Luis Hernandez was 18 years old and looking for a job, he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to do. But he had made one stipulation to himself: He wanted to do something that helped others. Thirty-five years later, Mr. Hernandez’s ultimate choice stuck.

He took a job as an Animal Tech at UT Southwestern, caring for and feeding animals.

“That’s why I have stayed here a long time,” Mr. Hernandez says. “Research is extremely important for development of medicine. I understand that a lot of people get sentimental about animals, and I love them, but this is one reason why I love them and I’m so appreciative.”

Mr. Hernandez currently serves as Animal Transport Coordinator, a position he says is “about 80 percent paperwork, and 20 percent actual transport.” His responsibilities include receiving rodents from vendor trucks, checking crates for damage, and verifying shipments have been received.

For Mr. Hernandez, the job offers a unique balance between helping people and allowing him to be around animals.

“I want to be known as caring for people and caring for the animals,” he says. Away from work, Mr. Hernandez enjoys being with family – his wife, Maggie, and daughter, Judy.

Dwayne Kent Harvey

By Harriet Blake

Dwayne Kent Hervey is a Physical Plant – Site Wide Services’ Building Maintenance Specialist, delivering service at the James W. Aston Ambulatory Care Center on UT Southwestern’s South Campus.

He works in electrical, plumbing, air-conditioning/heating, and also handles problems with locks and keys. In 1980, he started in the electrical shop where he learned the trade, remaining there for 16 years.

Mr. Hervey says he continues to enjoy his ever-shifting tasks, especially when collaborating with co-workers on an assignment. He says those who interact with him would say he’s an employee who “takes care of business.”

His proudest moment at UT Southwestern was the day he was promoted to Building Manager. Mr. Hervey says people might be surprised to learn he and his siblings were raised on a farm outside the city of Addison. “We sold the family farm years ago. It had everything – cows, chickens … it was something else.” Since then, the family has relocated to Dallas.

In his spare time, his passions include working on old cars, fishing, and gardening. Mr. Hervey has a son, Kendrick, and two daughters, Kian and Kiara, all of whom live in Carrollton. He is proud that his active 89-year-old mother, who lives with Mr. Hervey’s sister, still insists on chipping in with the household’s cooking or cleaning.

Pamela K. Hewitt

By Steve Lansdale

Pamela K. Hewitt remembers the first day she stepped into William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital while on a tour before the facility’s opening in 2014. “It was amazing and I felt so privileged and blessed to be part of this state-of-the-art facility.”

Ms. Hewitt is a Senior Administrative Assistant in Patient Care Services Administration, helping meet the day-to-day unit staffing needs for Registered Nurses and Patient Care Technicians at both Clements University Hospital and Zale Lipshy University Hospital. She also facilitates orientation for per diem agency nurses and patient care techs.

She calls UT Southwestern “a wonderful learning environment and a place where you can grow.” Ms. Hewitt says she treasures the relationships she has built over the past 35 years with her co-workers and believes some of those friendships will continue even after they leave UT Southwestern.

Ms. Hewitt, who enjoys church activities and family outings, would like to be known as an employee who can encourage and inspire others who may be having a rough day. “I try to help if they have a need. In my job, I’m on the phone a lot and I hope people can hear the smile in my voice.”

Ms. Hewitt would like to pursue her bachelor’s degree in humanities one day. She is looking forward to being able to travel more with her husband, Gerald, and two daughters, who currently are serving in the U.S. Navy.

Annamma “Anna” Issac

By Steve Lansdale

In her career, Annamma “Anna” Issac says she finds herself in a perfect balance of give and take. As a Registered Nurse II in the Psychiatric Unit at UT Southwestern’s Zale Lipshy University Hospital, she cares for the well-being of patients. But she also thrives in an environment where co-workers help bring the same joy to her that she tries to provide to her patients.

Ms. Issac says she cherishes the “positive, funny, and entertaining employees who help me keep my sanity.”

She made the switch to Zale Lipshy after spending 24 years as a Staff Nurse at St. Paul University Hospital. Ms. Issac has collected numerous honors throughout her 35-year career at the Medical Center, including the Meritorious Award in 2008 and 2014, several Silver and Gold PACT pins, and membership in the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. She also served for two years on the Staffing Effectiveness Committee. “I am proud to be a part of the UT Southwestern family,” she says.

Ms. Issac says her work is challenging, but enormously rewarding. She draws strength from the patients and her co-workers, and from her Christian faith, which is a major part of her life.

She says she hopes to retire later this year, after which she will devote more time to her family – Thomas, her husband of 43 years, her two children, and two grandchildren – and take part in more church activities and go on more vacations.

Byron Johnson

By Ron Durham

Don’t be surprised if you run into Byron Johnson in France, Australia, or England a few years from now. Because when his career at UT Southwestern Medical Center is over, Mr. Johnson plans to travel the world.

“Anywhere but staying home on the couch,” he says. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve got my passport ready.”

A System Software Specialist III, Mr. Johnson is responsible for monitoring backup, setup of print queues, and installing biometric locks for the server racks. Mr. Johnson joined the Medical Center in 1980 as a Computer Operator, and says that being part of the growth of IR Systems and Operations Administration has been the most rewarding part of his career.

“It’s a lot better now,” Mr. Johnson says. “You remember the old switchboard operators? … we used to do that every morning basically just to get connected to the mainframe.”

Away from work, Mr. Johnson says he is known for his barbecue. His specialties are brisket and ribs, which have been a popular item within the department.

“When the department would put out a spread, they used to get four or five briskets from restaurants and I would bring some trays of my own,” Mr. Johnson says. “When it was over, theirs was left and all of mine were gone.”

Aside from his grilling skills, Mr. Johnson hopes to be known for his dependability on the job and as someone “who tried to help others.”

“If they need me, I’m there for them,” Mr. Johnson says.

Mr. Johnson and his wife, Meachell, have three children – Byron Jr., Desiree, and Jessica.

Karen Kazemzadeh

By Ron Durham

Like many longtime employees, Karen Kazemzadeh will tell you she feels like part of a family at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Now an Administrative Associate in Interior Planning/Design of Facilities Management, Ms. Kazemzadeh has seen exponential growth over the past 35 years.

“When I first started, it was the UT Health Science Center at Dallas and the Harry S. Moss Clinical Science Building was under construction,” Ms. Kazemzadeh recalls. “Dr. Charles Sprague was President. The population of faculty and staff was much less than now.”

A chance encounter with Dr. Sprague, UT Southwestern’s first President, remains one of Ms. Kazemzadeh’s fondest memories. “I have a warm memory of passing Dr. Sprague on the campus one sunny spring day, and he greeted me with a big smile and a great deal of energy, as if I was a colleague,” Ms. Kazemzadeh says. “It made me feel that I was part of the team contributing my efforts toward the building of UT Southwestern.”

Another high point for Ms. Kazemzadeh was her stint in the Immunology Graduate Program, where she “had the pleasure of watching/helping more than 100 students earn and receive their Ph.D. degrees. To this day, I am proud of each of them and their continued successes.”

Ms. Kazemzadeh says she strives to be known as someone who “always steps up when something needs to be done.”

Ms. Kazemzadeh, who enjoys cooking, entertaining, and doting on two grandchildren, has been married for 46 years and has two sons; one an Associate Professor of Multimedia Art at Gallaudet University, and the other an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts.

Charles Kresge

By Steve Lansdale

When Charles Kresge started work as a Laboratory Technician 35 years ago, there were no laptops in his Department – no computers at all. His tasks at UT Southwestern included microscope analysis and working in a darkroom.

“We used to work with black-and-white photos, and I actually worked in a darkroom,” Mr. Kresge says. “Now everything is digital – better, faster, more efficient. A lot of the stuff we did then is still applicable, but the job changes all the time.”

As the technology transformed the job, Mr. Kresge evolved with it.

Since 2004, he’s been under the direction of Dr. Andrew Feranchak, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Associate Professor of Pediatrics. Mr. Kresge, a Senior Research Associate, has taken on more administrative duties, ranging from ordering materials the lab requires, to maintaining cells and performing diagnostic work, to performing minor computer troubleshooting to save an unneeded call to the IT department.

Like many employees at UT Southwestern, he says the best part of the job is the people with whom he works.

“I have been fortunate to be around great bosses, around great people,” he says. “I’m not leaving any time soon.”

Away from work, Mr. Kresge and his wife, Kim, enjoy singing in their small church choir. The couple shares their home with their cat, Romeow, who came into their lives a little over a year ago.

“He adopted us, and now he’s in control of the whole house,” Mr. Kresge says. “He’s the ultimate freeloader, but he’s a sweetheart.”

Betty J. Laury

By Patrick Wascovich

The 35-year career of Betty Laury should be topped off with a bow. That’s how she tries to interact with others each day while serving as a Cashier and Clerk in the Zale Lipshy University Hospital gift shop.

“I want to be known as a person who can take ribbon, tissue paper, and a gift bag and turn that into love, laughter, and large smiles – delivered with a sincere ‘Thank you’ – for the employees, patients, and customers passing through,” she says.

Her positive attitude is founded in empathy for others. “I have compassion for other people, no matter who they may be,” she says. “I try to put a little sunshine into their day.”

Usually on top of things, Ms. Laury says her funniest UT Southwestern memory comes from when she literally did not know where she was.

“My co-worker and I had a class taught by Paul Scott [Manager of Learning and Development]. At the end of instruction we were told that we were in the wrong class,” Ms. Laury says. “We got our certificates, but since then every time Paul did a class he would ask me, ‘Betty, are you in the right room this time?’ ”

Her family includes two sons, a daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.

Away from work, Ms. Laury likes to peruse antique shops and flea markets, always on the lookout for another vintage Teddy Bear for her collection. She also loves to cook and to do crafts with her granddaughter.

Patricia “Pat” Lee

By Steve Lansdale

During her 35-year nursing career, one patient in particular stands out for Patricia “Pat” Lee, who works as a Registered Nurse II in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. That patient serves as a reminder of how the team of caregivers can make a profound difference in someone’s life.

“We had a heart transplant patient who, before she had her transplant, was so sick she couldn’t go home,” Ms. Lee says. “She had to stay with us at the ICU for a few months. She was depressed and wanted to give up. We cared for her and tried to encourage her.

“After her surgery, she came back to visit. She was all dressed up – she looked great. It just reminded everyone to not give up. We see this day in, day out, but when she came back, that changed me. When I see a transplant patient living with a new heart, a new liver, a new lung, I’m so grateful. There’s nothing like it.”

Ms. Lee’s career at UT Southwestern started in 1980 in the Cardiovascular ICU, where she spent 12 years. She then went to the Coronary Care Unit for three years, the Medical/Surgical ICU for 18 years, and then joined the surgical intensive care unit in December 2014.

Her caring nature carries over outside of work: she and her husband, Charles, are involved with a ministry through which they visit ailing people who need someone to talk to, to lift their spirits. The couple has two daughters and expect to become grandparents for the first time in May.

Jessamee Mellon

By Steve Lansdale

There can’t be many UT Southwestern employees who are as versatile as Jessamee Mellon, a Laboratory Manager in the Department of Ophthalmology. She has filled so many roles since being hired 35 years ago that she literally does not remember the title of her first position.

“I have worn a lot of hats and have learned so much,” she says. “The campus has changed, the school has changed, my job has changed … and I have loved just about all of them.”

Ms. Mellon says her role as lab manager is “the same as in any other lab,” meaning that her task is to make sure everyone has the supplies they need to produce data in a timely manner and that the lab complies with all regulations. She also enjoys teaching various lab procedures and techniques to students, fellow technicians and post-doctoral fellows as well as assisting whenever needed.

As her role has grown, so too has the University. “The campus has just mushroomed,” she says. “When I started, there was only the South Campus. Ophthalmology was in a little ‘out’ building, away from the other buildings. But there is so much more now, more buildings, more service to the community. It’s an incredible place to work.”

Ms. Mellon says what has kept her at UT Southwestern for 35 years is that she “likes the job and the folks I work with,” as well as the great health benefits offered to employees.

In her free time, she enjoys gardening and spending time with her “wonderful husband, two fine sons, and an incredible daughter-in-law.”

Michael Meyers

By Steve Lansdale

The way a campus looks is important for an institution’s image – creating a positive impression that goes beyond cleanliness or manicured lawns. A well-kept campus can instill a measure of pride among employees and represent the caring, expertise, and world-class patient care, research and education conducted there every day.

Michael Meyers, an Assistant Groundskeeper who is celebrating 35 years at UT Southwestern, can claim some of the credit for the campus’ impressive greenways.

“My brother, Bobby, came to work here first,” Mr. Meyers says. “Then I came to work here, and I have been here ever since.

“I love working here – I love my job. I love coming to work every morning, and seeing my friends who work here.”

Over the course of his tenure at UT Southwestern, Mr. Meyers has shown his dependability and work ethic, and his integrity through such acts as when he found a wallet on campus and returned it to its owner.

His family includes mom and stepdad, three brothers, and two sisters.

Outside of his job, Mr. Meyers has developed a strong dedication and sense of obligation to recycling, especially around his own home.

“It’s a good thing to do,” he says. “It makes every place look better.”

Renee Krake

Renee Krake