In September 2016, Linda Wright, lab tech/certified phlebotomist of the Core Lab, was awarded the Hospital’s prestigious Baker-King Award for excellent job performance and consistently being a good model, thus setting an example for everyone at the Hospital.
A heartfelt letter about Linda from one of our obstetric patients was included in the nomination form submitted by her supervisor, Lois Tissue, and Lydia Nelson, Core Lab manager, earlier this summer in which they expressed why Linda was deserving. Here are some excerpts:
Linda Wright is an excellent employee who has been with the Core Laboratory for over twelve years. Her skills are not only in phlebotomy but also in dealing with people of all walks of life. She is one of our trainers and mentors for new phlebotomists and teaches them both the technical skills of phlebotomy and the soft skills of dealing with people. Linda often volunteers to help in our outpatient area, our pediatric floors, the physician training program and JHU student screening programs. Many of our patients know Linda and request her by name for her outstanding phlebotomy skills. She is versatile and enthusiastic about her job.
Linda is also helps runs our phlebotomy command center. She is excellent about putting patient needs ahead of all other phlebotomy limitations. She is a mature and intelligent phlebotomy commander who does a great job coordinating phlebotomy services when in charge.
Linda is very detail and patient safety oriented, attends patient safety meetings for phlebotomy, and communicates concerns about patients with no wristbands or damaged wristbands. She is very careful to meet time limits with stat and timed phlebotomy draws and works well with the nursing staff to make sure she understands patient needs with special blood collections. The nurses on Nelson 2 outpatient areas often comment on what a great job Linda does with their patients—her watchfulness with complex patient orders and her loving easygoing manner with patients. She is also highly respected by our pediatric nurses and our Peds patients—and is often requested for pediatric phlebotomy. Pediatrics comes natural to Linda since she is the mother of eight children.
Linda has consistently demonstrated care and kindness toward patients. She is truly an ambassador for the Core Laboratory with her great interpersonal skills. She comes to work with a patient-centered disposition and a total commitment to her job. She is a truly dedicated individual who shows compassion for her patients every hour of every day.
We are very fortunate and proud to have Linda in our Department and we know that our patients are blessed because of her. She is truly a great role model.
Renata Karlos
Staff Assistant
Department of Pathology
Johns Hopkins Hospital