Innovation

Alejandra Cano Marketing Manager

Nominated by Jordan Benard, Director of Business Development & Community Relations CMS recently put requirements for our website in place regarding a text format for price transparency. The web hosting platform we have spent years building and perfecting did not accommodate this format. Alejandra, not giving up, got on support with our website several times, got on the phone with CMS multiple times and sought work arounds. She worked with IT and, together, found a solution due to her "owner" mentality, curiosity and sticktoitiveness. She found a solution where there was not a paved road to one! Not only did she accomplish this for the hospital to be in compliance, but she also served as a resource to Cibola Hospital who reached out, in desperation, with the same issue. I asked Alex if she would please help them and she simply said, "of course!" and got right on it. Alex sent them her work around and the response from Cibola was, "This is wonderful! Thank you so much, you definitely made my day - I think I cried a little Appreciate you all, if I can ever be of assistance as well - feel free to reach out." It was so wonderful to see this because Alex sought best practices, couldn't find one, worked with IT to create one and then shared it and THAT is what makes Nor-Lea exceptional! Thank you, Alex, for your continual curiosity and dedication while serving at Nor-Lea!!

Compassion

Karla Ruiz
Registered Nurse

Nominated by Ashley Ferron, Nurse Practitioner The nurses on shift yesterday made a big difference for a man in a hard situation. I had a homeless person that was living in their car. They had some basic medical need that we attended too, and when they were ready for discharge, I asked if we offer them a shower. Gabi and Karla made it happen. They not only got them a shower but went even further. They had someone go to the dollar store and they got them clothes. They made sure they had lunch and truly cared for this man. The smile on their face and gratitude are priceless. We found out the salvation army does weekly showers too and we're able to get them follow-up care, but their hearts on a busy day made a big difference and I wanted to share this. Thank You, Ashley

Compassion

Gabriela Navarrette Registered Nurse

Nominated by Ashley Ferron, Nurse Practitioner The nurses on shift yesterday made a big difference for a man in a hard situation. I had a homeless person that was living in their car. They had some basic medical need that we attended too, and when they were ready for discharge, I asked if we offer them a shower. Gabi and Karla made it happen. They not only got them a shower but went even further. They had someone go to the dollar store and they got them clothes. They made sure they had lunch and truly cared for this man. The smile on their face and gratitude are priceless. We found out the salvation army does weekly showers too and we're able to get them follow-up care, but their hearts on a busy day made a big difference and I wanted to share this. Thank You, Ashley

Respect

Monica Castanon
Certified Medical Assistant

Nominated by Vicky Wilson, ACO/Diabetes Manager
Monica had a patient that came in for the AWV. She discovered the patient had no water source. They were using the neighbors water hose to flush the toilet, and neighbors were letting them shower at their home. They couldn’t afford the water bill which exceeded $300. Monica was able to coordinate the Financial Department and this patient. Through this coordination, resources were found to assist. The Salvation Army covered the water bill cost and patient was able to get the water back on in their home. Monica has a Servant Heart; she values all people and goes above and beyond to help those in need.

Nominated by Sandra Ponce, Registered Nurse

During a recent celebration team huddle at the Dr. Fonseca/Charles pod, we had the privilege of presenting a Celebration Team Card to Monica, ACO Medical Assistant. The card recognized her for the exceptional care she provides to her patients. What began as a simple moment of appreciation quickly became something far more powerful. As the patient’s words of gratitude were read aloud, Monica became emotional and shared a story that speaks volumes about the impact of her work. She recalled a patient who was hesitant to complete her mammogram. Taking the time to listen, educate, and reassure, Monica encouraged the patient to follow through with the screening. The patient ultimately agreed—and that decision changed her life. The mammogram detected breast cancer at an early stage. Today, that patient is cancer-free. Monica expressed deep gratitude for having played a role in saving a life. Her story is a testament to the power of compassion, patience, and advocacy in healthcare. Those of us who see Monica in clinic a few times each week know this is not an isolated example. She consistently dedicates extended time to each patient, empowering them to take charge of their health and complete critical, life-saving screenings. She meets patients where they are, builds trust, and ensures they feel supported every step of the way. Monica’s story is worth telling. And the patient’s testimony—made possible by Monica’s dedication—is worth hearing. It is a powerful reminder that behind every screening, every conversation, and every moment of encouragement, there is the potential to change, and even save, a life.

Empowerment

Monique Gallindo
Accounting Manager

Nominated by Francheska Hendrickson, Clinic Patient Access Manager I would like to recognize Monique Galindo in the ICARE Empowerment category. Monique was my manager for four years and helped me grow in many ways, from the beginning of being placed in her department until my last day with her. During my last evaluation with her, Monique used that time to educate, guide, encourage and empower me on my new journey in a manager’s role. She offered me guidance on rounding with my new team and suggested serval different questionnaires and sites to utilize on getting to know my new team members. At my first manager’s meeting, she even gave me a shout out on helping my previous team as she was out on FMLA. She valued me as her team member even though she was losing me as an employee. The respect she has given me has not gone unnoticed by myself and peers. I will always be grateful for the last evaluation I had with Monique because I was able to utilize her guidance with her suggestions.

Nominated by Josue Rodriguez, Chief Human Resource Officer

I would like to nominate Monique for the Exceptional Care Award for consistently going above and beyond to support teams outside of her department and for volunteering her time and talent to make organization-wide events successful.

Monique has been an incredible asset to the Christmas Party Committee. Without being asked, she stepped up and fully took ownership of vendor outreach for gifts. She proactively contacted vendors to request donated items, followed up as needed, and then tracked every gift from start to finish to ensure nothing was missed. Her organization and follow-through made the entire gift component smooth and stress-free for the committee, especially for HR. She made it easy to see what was secured, what was pending, and what still needed attention. She didn’t just help; she led this effort voluntarily, and the results showed in how streamlined and successful that part of the event became.

Monique also demonstrated the same level of commitment during the Fall Family Festival. She volunteered her personal time to be present and engaged, arrived dressed in a Halloween costume to bring extra fun and energy, and independently ran her own table. She created a welcoming experience by handing out candy, playing games with the kids, and helping ensure families felt included and entertained. Her positive attitude and willingness to jump in wherever needed reflected genuine care for our employees and their families.

Monique consistently shows up as a dependable partner across departments, taking initiative, following through, and lifting the load for others, without being asked and without needing recognition to do the right thing. Her actions reflect Exceptional Care and servant leadership in the most practical way: seeing a need, stepping in, and making the experience better for everyone. Monique is highly deserving of this award.

Empowerment

Jessica Lizardo Director of Information Systems

Nominated by Allyson Roberts, Chief Financial Officer Jessica is a self-motivated, caring and dedicated person who goes above and beyond in service to others. She is always willing to tackle a major project with amazing structure and organizational expertise. She is also willing to help others meet their goals by jumping in and assisting in any way she can. Recently, she was a huge help in the maintenance department when the electricity was turned off at the power pole which supplies the service to the old hospital. The power was turned off abruptly after business hours. Jessica was not on-call at the time, but she knew the seriousness of the situation, especially since Jason was out. She took care of the situation, made some fantastic decisions and ensured that the facility was secure. She stayed until she knew all systems were functioning appropriately. Also, during Jason’s FMLA leave, DNV came to do the annual survey for accreditation. I was so hoping Jason was going to be back for the survey, but I was honored and overwhelmed with joy that Jessica was by my side for the 3 days of the survey. When I rounded the corner to her office on my way to admin that first morning, I only had to step into her office, and she knew my question (it was probably the panic in my eyes!). She didn’t even wait for me to ask for help. She told me her team had it covered with IT, and she would be by my side to tag team the surveyor. WOW – what a blessing. She sprang into action, and it was such a humbling sight. We tag teamed the surveyor from the very first day to the end. I made conversation,

answered simple questions and was the “distraction” as Jessica searched Jason’s computer and email to find the supporting documentation and answers. We were able to find everything and anything he asked. So Amazing!! When the survey was over, we had managed to close all of the outstanding findings from last year’s survey. We both had pages of notes so that we could hand everything off to Jason “as if he had been there”. If I ever have to go into battle or take on an impossible task, Jessica will be one of the first people I call. I believe Jessica leads by inspiring and motivating other employees and leaders by connecting their individual work to the mission and vision of Nor-Lea. She also truly exemplifies servant leadership by fostering a collaborative environment built on trust and mutual respect. I’m honored to work with her every day.

Nominated by Jordan Benard, Director of Business Development & Community Relations As a hospital with several different service lines, there are multiple things, at all times, that we must be communicating to our patients and community. The signage requests became overloaded and the public is simply tuning them out. We need a modern take to our signage that is digestible to our guests while keeping our facilities looking organized and professional. Digital signage was the decision. I researched a couple of different vendors that would make this manageable for the over 100 devices that we would need to send communications to and the costs were $25k-50k, annually. Jessica, with a very full plate of big projects, stepped up to the plate. She spent countless hours trying to find a cost-effective solution for us to

manage all our communications remotely to all the different devices and found an perfect solution. This project was very intricate and had to be tested with different devices and setups. She trialed it at home and work, even using her personal Samsung account to perfect the process. Alex in Marketing also played a huge role in the success of this pilot project. Alex and Jessica remained committed to finding a solution and we're happy to report the pilot is going well. There will be initial costs in getting devices set up but will save the hospital so much money in the future with signage costs. We will not have to pay a third party to supply the platform. Thank you, Jessica and team, for all you do! This is a great win for you, IT, Marketing and Nor-Lea as a whole!