STARs of the Month – December 2024
Congratulations to Suzanna Grimes, Podiatrist and Dylan Hunter, Occupational Therapist on being selected as join winners for NCH&C 'December STAR of the Month
This award recognises the commitment and dedication of staff members who give a service that is over and above what is expected of them in order to make a difference to patients, visitors and/or their colleagues. They embody our values and behaviours and deserve a special thank you in recognition for going above and beyond.
Suzanna was chosen as the joint December winner for leading the podiatry team through a summer of team development, using innovative ways to explore how individuals work together, influence culture and respond to change and then supporting the team to work together with their new found knowledge to improve the service.
Suzanna’s STAR of Recognition nomination stated: “Suzanna led the team through this with extensive networking and research and managed to secure funding for external support. The impact of this work is ongoing and the initiative has also released capacity within the service. In a climate of increasing referrals and no increase in funding Suzanna and the team have demonstrated that it is possible to do things differently without compromising on quality of care and actually enhancing patient experience. Suzanna is an exemplar role model of a leader delivering change and how to gain support from a team to think and do differently.”
Dylan was also chosen for the award for his caring, compassionate, and relaxed style of communication helping all of his patients to feel supported and heard.
Dylan’s STAR of Recognition nomination stated: “Dylan is a team player, receptive to change, and contributes to finding solutions within the team. Some outstanding examples include when Dylan was asked to see a young terminally ill patient for an OT assessment. This was the first young patient that Dylan had visited, and he was understandably apprehensive about it. Nevertheless, Dylan attended, quickly gained a therapeutic relationship with the patient and his family, completed a detailed assessment which contributed to the acceptance of a Fast Track funding checklist, and ensured that the patients’ needs were met at end of life. Another patient admitted having suicidal thoughts during his visit. Dylan took steps to explore this with sensitivity and sought out specific charities. Dylan is thorough with his assessments, considering safeguarding and ethical issues.”
The new Star of the Month award forms part of NCH&C’s new Star Programme – our ‘sharing thanks and recognition’ scheme – which rewards outstanding internal achievements.