Employee Spotlight 17 January 2020
Reaching a Major Milestone
Every New Year, Ivinson takes time to honor our biggest assets, our employees.
Milestone Awards, is a time that allows us to thank employees for their years of service and the difference they make in making our hospital a great place to work. Over the years, we see our employees take on new roles, advance their education, excel in different departments and most importantly, provide the very best care for each and every patient that enters our doors. We appreciate each and every one of you. This year’s Milestone Awards we will honor 54 employees for reaching milestones of 5, 10, 15, 25 and up to 40 years of service.
Deb Dawson — Family Care Unit
25 Years at Ivinson
Deb originally started at Ivinson in June of 1993 as a nursing extern before coming on as a GN/RN in May of 1994. “I was a new UW nursing graduate and knew I wanted to work at Ivinson on Labor/Delivery. I love Labor/Delivery, Pediatrics, and the Nursery! Ivinson has exceptional staff who keep me on my toes and make coming to work fun.” Deb then became a clinical educator in June of 2013, before becoming the clinical director of the Family Care Unit in 2016. When asked what her favorite part about her job is, Deb says, “I love working with doctors and nurses who are committed to their jobs and love patients as much as I do.” When she is not caring for new families, Deb enjoys spending time with her own family. Deb married her high school sweetheart, Scott, and just celebrated their 44th year of marriage — thank you Deb for spending 25 of those years with Ivinson!
Nicole Vasquez — PACU
20 Years at Ivinson
Nicole came to Ivinson in 1999 after family members of hers had recommended Ivinson as a great place to work. Nicole started at Ivinson as an environmental services technician and has worked her way through, Admitting, Medical Records and into nursing. She started as a graduate nurse, then as an obstetrics nurse and into PACU nursing, where she works currently. Nicole credits the ability to advance her career within the hospital as what has kept her at Ivinson for the last 20 years.
When asked what her favorite part of her job is, Nicole says her favorite part is her coworkers, as well as getting to work in different areas throughout her department. In 2017, Nicole added perioperative educator to her resume and last semester, began working towards her BSN. Thank you for your 20 years of service Nicole!
Ellen Hicks — Dietary
15 Years at Ivinson
Ellen was in need of a change when she joined the Ivinson family in 2004, and a friend had suggested she apply at Ivinson. In her time at Ivinson, Ellen has been a patient services associate, resident activities coordinator and an RSA. When asked what has kept her at Ivinson for the last 15 years, Ellen says, “The good people I work with and the patients. And it’s great exercise!” Ellen enjoys the friends she has made in her coworkers and seeing the patients she serves get better. When she isn’t wheeling a smile around the hospital, Ellen likes to garden and do woodworking as well as spend time with her family. Thank you for all you do Ellen!
Alea Doolittle — Rehabilitation
10 Years at Ivinson
Alea joined Ivinson in 2009 as an aide in the Outpatient Rehabilitation Center. After finishing her undergrad on the east coast, Alea knew she needed a change. While visiting family in Laramie, she applied for a position at Ivinson, “I got my job, cancelled my return flight home and have never looked back! It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!”
As a rehab aide, Alea enjoys the support she can offer not only her coworkers, but also her patients. “The community that has been built here is like no other. It’s not only the sense of community I feel within my department with my coworkers and patients, but within the hospital as a whole.” For Alea, helping others is a passion. After Hurricane Katrina, she spent two weeks in New Orleans working on houses damaged in the flooding, “As hard as the work was mental and physically, it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I’ll always be appreciative of the lessons I learned.”
Heather Davies — Environmental Services
5 Years at Ivinson
Heather was handpicked by her supervisor Tammy Gardea, who recommended she apply at Ivinson. After joining the Ivinson family in July of 2014, Heather has found her niche as an environmental services tech and can often be found in the Medical Office Building at Ivinson. Aside from the great support she receives from her coworkers, Heather’s favorite part about working at Ivinson is, “Leaving at the end of the night knowing I made a difference.” Thank you Heather for all your hard work!
Employees Hitting Major Milestones
| Ralph Abell | Materials Management | 5 years |
| Anthony Aguirres | Materials Management | 5 years |
| Deanna Allen | Hospital Compliance | 5 years |
| Caitlin Beck | Med Surg IP | 5 years |
| Dena Bijold | Laboratory | 5 years |
| Becky Boschee | Pharmacy | 5 years |
| Candace Burch | Hospitalist | 5 years |
| Kimberly Cameron | Health Info Management | 5 years |
| Heather Davies | Environmental Services | 5 years |
| Daria Duhring | Dialysis | 5 years |
| Amy Farstad | Surgical Clinic | 5 years |
| Wendy Fix | Pathology | 5 years |
| James Frazier | Med Surg IP | 5 years |
| Douglas Hall | Hospital Compliance | 5 years |
| Eric Harnsberger | Surgery | 5 years |
| Melissa Johnson | Health Info Management | 5 years |
| Dustin Joy | Cardiac Rehab | 5 years |
| Briana Lucero | Internal Med Clinic | 5 years |
| Randi Majewski | Ultrasound | 5 years |
| Heidi March | Med Surg IP | 5 years |
| Seth Mcgee | Patient Financial Services | 5 years |
| Gwynn Mcmillen | Labor and Delivery | 5 years |
| Daphne Mecikalski | Extended Care Unit | 5 years |
| Melody Rezzonico | Emergency Department | 5 years |
| Michael Rodgers | Med Surg IP | 5 years |
| Diana Roising | Hospital Administration | 5 years |
| Beth Sanchez | Nursing Admin | 5 years |
| Jason Sondgeroth | ER Physician Services | 5 years |
| Beverly Spencer | Emergency Department | 5 years |
| Michela Telford | Emergency Department | 5 years |
| Alea Doolittle | Rehab Services | 10 years |
| Jennifer Howells | Admitting | 10 years |
| Andrea Lewis | Patient Financial Services | 10 years |
| Alissa Mikesell | Behavioral Health | 10 years |
| William Silvrants | Environmental Services | 10 years |
| Aaron Utton | Surgery | 10 years |
| Christopher Vialpando | Engineering | 10 years |
| Claire Angele | Rehab Services | 15 years |
| Ellen Hicks | Dietary | 15 years |
| Beth Kamber | Diabetes Clinic | 15 years |
| Shawna Kautzman Pena | Behavioral Health | 15 years |
| Kizzy Ledesma | Intensive Care Unit | 15 years |
| Jennifer Peterson | Rehab Services | 15 years |
| Carmen Rayos | Materials Management | 15 years |
| Aracely Amparan | Surgery | 20 years |
| Dianne Brown | Laboratory | 20 years |
| Nicole Vasquez | PACU | 20 years |
| Debra Dawson | OB | 25 years |
| Paula Eskam | Process Improvement | 25 years |
| Robert Needhammer | Surgery | 25 years |
| Beth Romsa | BHS Physician Services | 30 years |
| Dawn Skinner | PACU | 35 years |
| Christian Knudsen | Nursing Admin | 35 years |
| Kirk Stratton | EEG | 40 years |