45 Years: Javier Garcia
By Ellen Beth Levitt
Employee Recognition 2016Long-term employees play an invaluable role in the life of UT Southwestern Medical Center. Their faithful, dedicated service has helped the institution become what it is today. In this special edition of Center Times, we showcase some of these employees and their varied interests. Meet the 2016 honorees |
When Javier Garcia joined St. Paul University Hospital 45 years ago, he thought he’d be there for a couple of years and then move on.
“I was 17 and my first job was restocking supplies for Central Sterile Supply, Surgery, and the Emergency Department,” he says. “I liked the job and the people I worked with. Working here is interesting and exciting. Time flew by, and I can’t believe it’s been that many years.”
Currently serving as the Implant Coordinator within the Surgery Department at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, Mr. Garcia is in charge of ordering pacemakers, heart valves, breast implants, and all other products that are implanted in patients during surgery. He also makes sure that the correct charges for those products are posted in Epic, the electronic medical record.
“The job is challenging because we need to make sure that the doctors and patients get what they need, and different things come up every day,” he says.
One of his special memories was being promoted to the position of Director of Central Sterile Supply, which coincided with an exciting time in his life – the birth of his daughter. Then, about 20 years ago, with a reorganization, the ordering and restocking of patient surgical supplies was transferred to the Department of Surgery. He was asked to move into a newly created position there, and he’s worked in that area ever since.
Another memorable time in his career was the move to Clements University Hospital. “It’s so much bigger, and we have more patients to care for and more people working in the Department compared to when we were at St. Paul.”
Originally from McAllen, he moved to Dallas with his family at age 6. Outside of work, Mr. Garcia likes reading and watching sports. “I’m a big Dallas Cowboys fan,” he says.
Mr. Garcia and his wife, Cristina, have two sons and one daughter, and three grandchildren.
1970 SnapshotTwo new UT Southwestern employees were among those who went through orientation in 1970. Little did they know that those introductions to the institution would lead to 45-year careers at the Medical Center. At UTSW
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