Employee of the Month
Click Here to View 2021 Employees of the Month & Nominees
Click Here to View 2020 Employees of the Month & Nominees
Click Here to View 2019 Employees of the Month & Nominees
December 2022 Employee of the Month - Sandee Moroso-Fela
Sandee Moroso-Fela Named Employee of the Month for December
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Sandee Moroso-Fela is Program Manager for the Division of Population Health, Quality Improvement and Implementation Sciences (PopQuIS). She works after hours as needed, which is frequent. She brings a warm spirit to our team as she provides personal encouragement and professional support for our diverse and multidisciplinary research teams. She serves as the glue for our PopQuIS team while serving too as the locus of two federally funded national collaborations. Her mindfulness of individuals needs promotes effective bilateral and multilateral relationships that support the team members and the work product of the various teams.
With the departure of our Operations Director, Sandee has stepped into an acting role with excellent spirit and continued excellence. This work involves managing a demanding multi institutional collaboration that we lead, as well as dealing with our funders and peer collaborators. Without Sandee's excellent work and superior grace this project would be suffering.
I am impressed by Sandee and admire her concomitant devotion to the work and to the people who are accomplishing the work. She brings this at a level that is rare in my experience and she makes me a better manager. She manages up, down, and sideways as needed, solving problems, identifying resources and recognizing when she needs to bring me in and when she can serve best more independently.
This nomination is overdue. Her acceptance of an interim role and her capacity to balance that work and keep us all moving forward across multiple federally funded projects with more than a dozen collaborators is extraordinary and deserves recognition.
Lawrence C. Kleinman, MD, MPH, FAAP
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November 2022 Employee of the Month - Tim Shi
Tim Shi Named Employee of the Month for November
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Tim is one of our CRNA's that can do it all. He has the knowledege, capabilities and desire to work in all specialties. He is proficient in cardiac, pediatrics, obstetrics and he does regional blocks as well. He is a wealth of knowledge and takes excellent care of his patients. He is a team player who is dedicated to his job. He is a role model for the CRNA's as well as the residents. He has a positive attitude and professional demeanor and helps out whenever he is needed. He is flexible with his schedule. He is courteous and helpful to his colleagues. He has taken on the responsibility of working out the Holiday schedule and he is one of our clinical coordinators for our RRNA's that do their clinical training with us. He is an excellent clinical instructor and has helped to recruit new hires. He takes on additional responsibilities and is always a pleasure to work with. Tim goes above and beyond the basic requirements of his job and consistently has excellent performance reviews. He is an asset to our team and well deserving of this honor.
Stacey Paulus, Chief CRNA
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October 2022 Employee of the Month - Yocelin Jimenez
Yocelin Jimenez Named Employee of the Month for October
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I am happy to have the opportunity to nominate Yocelin Jimenez as Employee of the Month. Yocelin has been working at the Chandler Health Center for the past 7 years as a Medical Health tech. Working with Yocelin is a pleasure. She is committed to providing excellent care to our population of patients. Yocelin frequently steps up to insure patients get tests needed. She always says "no problem" when patients or providers need extra support or assistance. She will take on the aded responsibility of answering patient calls and messages through my chart. Yocelin volunteers to provide extra covereage on off shifts. She is frequently asked to cover other areas in the health center, such as the lab, which she handles with upmost expertise and professionalism. . She makes it easier to get all our many tasks completed. She has been instrumental in our successful adoption of Epic.
Kathleen DiBiase, RN
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September 2022 Employee of the Month - Sumera Khan
Sumera Khan Named Employee of the Month for September
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Sumera Khan has been a dedicated employee to the Department of Emergency Medicine since 2005. Over the past few years, Sumera has gone above and beyond to help with the schedule, sick calls, and any task she was given. She checks in on the team and is always willing to lend a hand. Her ability to rearrange schedules and obtain coverage for our department is amazing. We sometimes refer to her a magidan. We are all thankful for her continued support and the fact that she cares. Sumera is the person who recognizes when someone is not feeling well or has had a difficult day and is always there to offer support. She knows and cares her Emergency Medicine family and is invaluable to our team.
Renee Riggs, DO, FACEP
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August 2022 Employee of the Month - Rosalind Julius Mickel
Rosalind Julius Mickel Named Employee of the Month for August
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Rosalind Julius-Mickel has dedicated her career to providing occupational healthcare to the employees of RWJMS. After spending several years at EOHSI, she accepted a position as an APN in the newly formed Rutgers-RWJMS Employee Health department. She brought with her an incredible wealth of knowledge and expertise which the program needed to suceed. Shortly after she started with us, the COVID-19 pandemic began which put an extraordinary strain on our department. Rosalind used her ingenuity to identify a site to provide drive through testing for our employees which was essential early in the pandemic when testing was not readily available in the community. For months, she worked late into the evening only to wake up early the next morning to begin the work anew so that we could provide guidance to our employees. Even when exhausted and overwhelmed, she never ran out of patience. She is one of the most caring and selfless practitioners I have ever had the opportunity to work with. To this day, she has remained the heart and soul of Rutgers-RWJMS employee health and it has been a privelege to work alongside her. It is for these reasons that I nominate her for employee of the month with great enthusiasm and affection.
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July 2022 Employee of the Month - Jamie Carr
Jaimie Carr Named Employee of the Month for July
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Jamie Carr, Senior Grants Administrator for RWJMS, went far above and beyond to help an MD/PhD student with the post-award process for an NIH F30 fellowship as well as ensuring appropriate payment for an NIH T32 training grant. Grants are the lifeblood of research at academic medical centers - they provide us with the critical resources to do cutting-edge research that changes the future of medicine and, most importantly, the lives of patients. They also fund the training of students who contribute to such research and who will hopefully lead biomedical science in the future. Jamie, a highly-experienced grants administrator, helped me with two issues. First, Jamie identified and acted decisively to correct an accounting issue with an NIH T32 training grant so that my tuition bill was paid and that the correct departments were billed. Jamie acted decisively and expertly to ensure that the situation was resolved, all in keeping with NIH's legal requirements. She spoke with me on the phone to help me understand what was going on and successfully rectified the issue - which many people missed - far ahead of the deadline. Second, after I was awarded an NIH F30 fellowship, Jamie served as a lifeline for me in the critical post-award period. She has essentially mentored me through the administrative process of translating an awarded grant into funded training. Whenever I had a question, Jamie knew the answer or, in the rare instance I encountered a novel situation, Jamie knew exactly what to do and who to ask. She never backed down from a grant-related challenge - instead, she stepped up to the plate and made it happen. She was extraordinarily responsive and far-sighted in her approach to managing the awarded grant. It's clear to me that the success of numerous grants at Rutgers RWJMS - easily millions of dollars worth -would not have been possible without Jamie's expertise, tenacity, and enthusiasm. She is a superstar in making Rutgers RWJMS's research possible. Leelabati Biswas (MD/PhD Candidate)
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June 2022 Employee of the Month - Kathleen Semler
Kathleen Semler Named Employee of the Month for June
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Very simply, Ms. Semler is the among the very most conscientious, dedicated, efficient, and foresighted employee that I have worked with in my 32 years at Rutgers and UMDNJ. She was the rock of the CHINJ during the pandemic, working tirelessly to keep all aspects of the Institute infrastructure functioning and she orchestrated the safe return of our laboratory staff. In addition to her routinely superb work, which is always well beyond the "call of duty", Ms. Semler routinely takes on new projects on her own initiative, breaking through inertia and obstacles to keep us progressing. For example, over the past few months, she has successfully undertaken a series of important initiatives and events. She organized and implemented a tremendously successful event with the Rutgers University Foundation honoring Jack and Adele Barrus, key donors to the CHINJ with the naming of a research laboratory. Ms. Semler has been the impetus and the local project manager behind the push to create a new CHINJ website as well as the first formal annual report for the CHINJ. While not yet completed, these would not even have gotten off of the ground without her thorough pre-planning and foresighted project management. As part of this effort she organized two photo-shoot sessions to capture both more formal and informal images for the website and report. She has also developed the format and outline for both an annual report and a shorter document for use in marketing activities. In addition, Ms. Semler has single-handedly navigated a series of complex issues relating to the hiring and extension of employees, working at the interface of the international office, payroll and HR, providing an interface and ensuring communication across departments where none was happening.
Arnold B. Rabson, MD
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May 2022 Employee of the Month - Jacqueline Lee
Jacqueline Lee Named Employee of the Month for May
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Jackie Lee is a surgical scheduler responsible for Pediatric Urology surgical scheduling. From the time she joined our Urology Division a year ago, she has been a valuable asset and team player. She has designed patient handouts in English and Spanish explaining the surgical scheduling process, instructions pre and post surgery, and other pertinent information. She also independently translated our patient letters to Spanish to make the details of the procedure easier for our Spanish speaking parents to understand.
She is a team player and assists other staff and providers when requested. Jackie is always looking for ways to make the surgical scheduling process more efficient, increase patient understanding and puts parents at ease when their child is scheduled for surgery.
Theresa Couzo, C-TAGME
Program Supervisor Urology Residency Program Coordinator
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April 2022 Employee of the Month - Melanie Lee
Melanie Lee, MS, RD Named Employee of the Month for April
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I have only been an employee at RWJMS for a few months, but it hasn't taken long to recognize the tremendous investments Melanie has made as a team player in all areas: 1. Due to a nationwide infant formula recall in February 2022, Melanie has developed numerous tools and workflows to support anxious parents in accessing high in demand formulas that their children desperately need. The time she has spent in developing excellent rapport with others in the greater nutrition community has allowed her to stay afloat the latest news in formula availability, allowing our nutrition department to provide the most current information possible to concerned families. 2. Similarly, Melanie goes above and beyond to care for her patients. I have seen her spend hours with insurance companies and pharmacies just to advocate for her patients and ensure that they get the medications and formulas they need. 3. Since Epic was launched, Melanie has graciously taken the initiative to learn the ins-and-outs of Epic, to the point where she herself has become a superuser (as described by Epic trainers) and worked with Epic trainers to optimize the interface and develop a dedicated training session for outpatient dietitians. This has occurred alongside all of her responsibilities as a fulltime patient provider. Still today, she patiently assists her colleagues, including myself, in using technology effectively so that glitches do not compromise professionalism and patient-centered visits. 4. The compassionate care Melanie provides to her patients is also extended to her colleagues. She never hesitates to notice others' needs, fosters a warm and welcoming environment by taking time to get to know every person (from housekeepers to IT support), doesn't hesitate to stop her work to respond to patient needs or colleague questions, and is constantly learning to expand her knowledge and skills as a clinician. She facilitates nutrition meetings, organizes our workflow, serves as the direct contact with volunteers, and so much more that I will discover in my second month as her coworker and mentee.
Hannah Cai, MS, RD
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March 2022 Employee of the Month - Melinda Torok
Melinda Torok Named Employee of the Month for March
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Melinda Torok has been an invaluable team member in the launch of our new curriculum's Physicianship I course and ongoing Patient-Centered Medicine 2, 3, & 4 courses. These courses have a multitude of components within the medical school and externally at a wide range of clinical settings for our students' didactic and experiential clinical learning. Melinda's work impacts every student at RWJMS, and she does that work graciously and professionally with all students, course Faculty Facilitators, Experiential Learning Preceptors, RWJMS Office of Education colleagues, and RBHS health professions and community partners. Melinda's exemplary attention to detail, work ethic, productivity, and service to the entire RWJMS family have enabled these courses to consistently deliver a high quality learning environment. Melinda also is remarkable for her impressive ability to anticipate the needs of the course directors, actively listen and propose solutions, and interact effectively with her peer course coordinators. As a result, she has become our trusted advisor. Overall, Melinda epitomizes the criteria of this Award and would receive it humbly by saying that it is just part of her job. She is, however, truly deserving of this recognition. |
Drs. Paul Weber, Betsy Mathew, and Joyce Afran
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February 2022 Employee of the Month - Shera Maples
Shera Maples Named Employee of the Month for February
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Shera is our Operations Coordinator and an invaluable member of our anesthesia team. She has a strong work ethic and shows a very strong commitment and dedication to our department. She is organized, efficient, and kind to everyone. She goes above and beyond to make our busy days run smoothly. She coordinates multiple locations and their needs for anesthesia services and works closely with the anesthesia officer of the day to make sure cases get done in a timely manner. She also has to coordinate any urgent/emergent cases that present during the day. She sends out a very detailed, color coded daily assignment schedule so that we all know where we are supposed to be and assists us in avoiding any confusion. She attends morning huddles within the operating room and works with the OR coordinators as well. She previously worked at RWJ for 20 years and has experience running the OR desk. That background and knowledge of the inner workings of the OR has made her a very valuable asset to our team. She has numerous responsibilities and handles them all with patience and grace. Shera is vital to our department's success.
Stacy Paulus, CRNA, APN Amy Smith, MSN, RN, NEA-BC
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January 2022 Employee of the Month - Melissa McCullough
Melissa McCullough Named Employee of the Month for January
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On behalf of the Division of Cardiology and the Section of Electrophysiology (EP), we would like to take this opportunity to commend Melissa McCullough for her incredible dedication to our patients which have undergone the insertion of an cardiac implantable device (CIED). Melissa is an utter pleasure to work with. She is bright, articulate and incredibly dedicated. She has handled a demanding service with aplomb. She has commandeered a quality improvement initiative, ensuring patient safety and satisfaction. Melissa is beloved by all her peers, nurses, physicians and cardiovascular trainees. She works seamlessly with the physicians to better serve our patients. She has become the cornerstone of the EP section. She has a thirst for learning and we expect great things from her in the future. She is a valuable asset to our department. Thus, it is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that we nominate her as employee of the month.
Grace Casaclang-Verzosa, MD, MBATallulah Moreira Franov, BSN, RN
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Employee of the Month Description
Do you know an RWJMS employee who:
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consistently exceeds the expectations of their job?
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finds better or more efficient ways to complete a task for the betterment of the department?
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volunteers to complete undesirable projects?
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anticipates problems before they occur and takes steps to avoid them?
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handles an emergency or difficult situation without being asked or offers a solution to a problem?
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The Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Staff Council is pleased to announce the kickoff of the Employee of the Month initiative, effective January, 2019.
The purpose of the Employee of the Month initiative is to recognize staff who have served RWJMS in an exceptional manner by exemplifying outstanding service through his or her work and exhibiting a positive and supportive attitude.
While anyone can make a nomination, nominations from chairs, division chiefs, faculty leaders and faculty convey a level of appreciation beyond peer-to-peer recognition.
Nominations will be due on the 5th of each month and the nominee will be announced by the 15th of each month (i.e, January nominees will be due by February 5 and announced by February 15).
The staff appreciation subcommittee will review all of the nominations and grade them on the criteria that has been established. They will submit their top three nominees to the school’s executive team who will select the finalist.
We are looking forward to this opportunity to recognize our staff and need your participation to make this possible.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at 732-235-7550 or Rhonda.smith@rutgers.edu.
Nomination Criteria
A Nominee for Employee of the Month must be a permanent employee of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and must be approved by his or her supervisor (which will be verified) prior to being named as the recipient of the award. Nominees should meet the following criteria when being considered for Employee of the Month:
Attitude and Commitment
- Dedicated to fulfilling job responsibilities
- Demonstrates good customer service skills
- Consistently dependable and is punctual in reporting to work
- Active involvement in committees, trainings, and other miscellaneous activities
- Serves as a role model to others
- Goes above and beyond the requirements of the job
Interpersonal Skills
- Displays a helpful, cooperative and positive attitude towards superiors and co-workers
- Consistently friendly and available to others
- Uses effective listening skills
- Has a team player attitude
- Voluntarily assists co-workers in order to complete important department projects
Work Performance
- Knowledgeable of RWJMS policy and procedure
- High overall quality of performance
- Accurately completes work assignments on time
- Controls high stress situations tactfully and calmly
- Takes initiative
- Requires little supervision
- Willingness to learn and take on new responsibilities
- Ability to train others and gladly willing to do so
Personal Traits
- Maintains an appropriate and neat personal appearance and dress
- Professional demeanor
- Conscientious, honest, hard-working
- Integrity, on and off the job