Honoring service excellence: Meet the newest Strauss Award winners
A multi-modality radiologic technologist, a medical technologist, a nursing professional development practitioner, a business analyst, a palliative care social worker, and a patient access representative are the most recent recipients of UT Southwestern’s Diana and Richard C. Strauss Service Excellence Awards.
The honorees for the first quarter of 2023 were celebrated Friday, May 19, in a virtual ceremony hosted by UT Southwestern President Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D.
Once every three months, six employees within the Health System are recognized for exemplifying excellence and professionalism in all they do. Three things define and unite Strauss Award winners:
- They excel at their jobs.
- They serve as role models for the next generation of employees.
- They share a spirit of volunteerism that strengthens our community.
Watch: Dr. Podolsky honors winners during the virtual event.
Brenda Estermyer, RT (R) (CT) (CBDT)
Multi-modality Radiologic Technologist
Richardson Imaging Services
“Brenda is very compassionate with her patients and develops relationships beyond the superficial. You can see the joy it brings them when they see she is her technologist. I feel very blessed to have such an amazing co-worker.”
UTSW career: Mrs. Estermyer joined UT Southwestern nearly six years ago when her family relocated to Texas from Florida. While she’s worked several other places, she said she’s found a professional home and wants her current job to be her final career stop.
In her role: Mrs. Estermyer was originally hired to be an X-ray technologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Plano/Richardson, but frequently assists other clinics and teams, eagerly pitching in on CT scans, Ortho X-Ray, and ultrasounds whenever the need arises. When her clinic’s previous technologist responsible for bone density scans left the department, she took the initiative to earn her own certification, so that patients and her colleagues could seamlessly move forward.
You’ve got a friend: “It’s important for people to be as comfortable and confident as possible when they come into the clinic, so I try to be that friendly face,” she said. “The most touching moments I’ve had are the times when, at the end of their visit, patients ask for a hug. That’s been known to bring me to happy tears.”
What she loves about UTSW: “The teamwork and togetherness. Everyone is focused on what is best for the patients and you can feel that every day. It’s a great thing to be a part of and I’m proud to work here.”
Gary Gaulden, MT
Medical Technologist
Core Laboratory, William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital
“With his years of service and self-assured, positive attitude, he has become the go-to person when troubles arise. His knowledge and experience help him guide his teammates, who repeatedly recognize his help and dependability. Students appreciate his teaching, knowledge, and attitude.”
UTSW career: Mr. Gaulden began working at UT Southwestern in 1976 at the hematology lab at then-St. Paul Hospital, where he tested enzyme levels in patients’ blood. As the Health System evolved, he was there every step of the way. During the move from St. Paul to Clements University Hospital (CUH), he played a vital role in implementing automated hematology testing, assisting with installation, validation, and staff training. Today, as a Medical Technologist in the Clinical Laboratory at CUH, he conducts complete blood counts, coagulation, urinalysis, and pregnancy testing to help prepare patients for surgery.
In his role: “I enjoy being able to share the things I have learned along the way,” he said. “I spent years volunteering with the Boy Scouts mentoring young men to become Eagle Scouts. In many ways it’s the same here at work – if I have picked something up that can help one of my colleagues, I’m going to pass it on.”
A shining moment: That Boy Scout training paid off one day at UT Southwestern when he was eating lunch with a colleague and a woman started to choke. Mr. Gaulden sprang into action, using the Heimlich maneuver to free the object blocking the person’s airway.
What he loves about UTSW: Mr. Gaulden’s favorite thing about his job is that it’s always evolving, and that the Health System is committed to embracing the latest techniques and technology. He also loves the culture and the people. “A lot of things have changed, but the good parts have stayed the same,” he said.
Gustavo Ortiz, D.N.P., RN, CCRN-K, CNRN (CEPD)
Nursing Professional Development Practitioner for Critical Care
Clinical Education & Professional Development
“Gustavo has been a great addition to our education team, bringing a wealth of knowledge and a passion for learning and teaching. He advocates for taking a truly deep dive and understanding the rationale behind the care we provide during emergency situations, and he ensures the classes are meaningful and fun.”
UTSW career: Mr. Ortiz is the newest team member of the UT Southwestern community in his class of Strauss Award recipients, with just a bit more than one year of service at UTSW. In his short time here, he’s made quite an impression.
In his role: He supports critical care and other areas within CUH, providing education that has a positive impact on the quality and safety of our patient care. Mr. Ortiz strategically creates education programs tailored to the needs of our learners with the goal of assisting critical care nurses in advancing their skills to the highest level.
Making it simple: “At this point of my career, it’s giving all that experience back in some sort of way,” he said. “It makes me feel good when I’m teaching a class and I find ways I can make complex material come across clearly. The fulfillment for me is to give what I’ve learned so that nurses of the future will be fully prepared to do the job.”
What he loves about UTSW: “I love the commitment to professional development here. When I started, I was one of the first people in my department to be hired. To see how it is being built out is very remarkable and it’s very cool, if I can use that word, to see how it’s all coming together and how it’s going to work.”
Nicole Sanders
Business Analyst
IR Health Systems
“Her passion is providing support and service to our patients and the UT Southwestern community. She uses the technology at her disposal to solve problems. She has a definite can-do attitude and works across teams to do her part to ensure that all deadlines are met.”
UTSW career: Ms. Sanders has worked at UT Southwestern for 13 years, starting as a floating Clinical Staff Assistant who scheduled surgeries, checked in patients, and performed a wide variety of other tasks. Three years later, she used that experience to become an Ambulatory Trainer, teaching best practices and workflows to employees. As she learned more about how the Health System worked, she became intrigued with the science of workflow and wanted to learn how to improve it, motivating her to become a Business Analyst. She’s held that position for five years.
In her role: “I create department records for new clinics and basically build out the shell of how things are going to work. I install the check-in kiosks in the clinics and, when it’s all put together, I run a dress rehearsal to make sure everything runs smoothly from the time patients arrive until their visit is complete and the next one is scheduled.”
Fly, RedBird, fly: “UT Southwestern Medical Center at RedBird has definitely been one of my favorite projects. I asked for it because I felt like I could make the effort successful. I was involved even before they began construction. I remember being on the site and walking on the dirt for the very first time all the way through the blessing of the building. It was very meaningful to be a part of.”
What she loves about UTSW: “I appreciate the support the Health System has given me as I have grown professionally. What really drives me is my management. They support me and give me the challenges I need. I feel that I have a great platform here.”
Natalie Torres, LMSW
Palliative Care Social Worker
University Hospital Cancer Support Services
“She is one of the kindest, most balanced, and motivating colleagues I have ever had. Our patients and their family members consistently report amazing experiences, feeling well cared for, listened to, and reassured.”
UTSW career: Ms. Torres came to UT Southwestern five years ago, starting in Internal Medicine before moving to Palliative Care about three years ago. It can be impossible, even for professionals, to avoid becoming emotionally attached to patients who are nearing the end of their lives. Ms. Torres finds herself grieving right along with their families. She gains inspiration and resilience from helping them to live in peace and comfort, making the most of the time they have while helping their families navigate their uncertain and difficult situation by connecting them with resources and information.
In her role: “I try to help coordinate care to keep people as comfortable as possible. But a big part of what I do is my involvement in coordinating and planning end-of-life care. I had a patient with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and I often think about when I met him on that day when it was all happening. I think just letting him know how much it meant for him to trust me to be involved in his care and seeing the gratitude his family had, that everything was going according to plan. Helping things go the best they could have gone was a day when I really felt like I made a difference.”
The Sacred Pause: “We follow these patients for some time, so we grieve for them, too. I think it’s helpful to have a strong team that you’re able to process things like this with. We practice something in Palliative Care called the Sacred Pause, and that really helps us. It gives us a chance to process and talk about our patients and what they brought to us, what we remember most about them, and it really helps us with the grieving process.”
What she loves about UTSW: “I feel like I will be in this role for quite some time because we support and educate each other within the organization. I’m always learning more about how to be there for our patients. My work is very meaningful to me.”
Patrice Virgil, CHAA
Patient Access Representative III
CUH 3 Blue Surgery Admissions
“Patrice is one of the best problem-solvers we have. Staff and leadership admire her for her knowledge and do not hesitate to reach out to her for help. Her willingness to assist is exceptional, and she provides excellent customer service in a timely manner.”
UTSW career: Ms. Virgil can trace her time here back 11 years to then-St. Paul Hospital and now serves as a Patient Access Representative III in 3 Blue Surgery Admissions.
In her role: The self-described “icebreaker” is the second person patients meet when they arrive at the hospital for surgery after they check-in. Patrice ensures all necessary registration documentation is in order, including communicating insurance and financial responsibilities carefully and concisely. “I’m one of the people who make sure our patients’ registration for surgery or other procedures goes smoothly,” Ms. Virgil said. “I make sure they have no financial fears so they can focus on themselves.”
Soothing patients’ worries: “My goal is to make sure that when people leave my office, they’re comfortable. I go over the cost estimate in detail so by the time they leave my office they know exactly how things are going to work out. They’re already worried about being on the operating table. They shouldn’t have to worry about other things, too.”
What she loves about UTSW: “I really love my co-workers and the patients I get to work with. But it’s also fantastic we get to work in this beautiful hospital that has so much to offer the people we take care of. One of my most memorable experiences is when we came over from St. Paul to CUH. My team was so excited to see the new building. It was like Christmas, and we were all getting presents.”