Christina Panther (center), manager of the Supply Department, has been named the Cherokee Indian Hospital Employee of the Year. She is shown with Casey Cooper (left), Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority CEO, and Yellowhill Rep. David Wolfe who serves as the chairman of the EBCI Health Board. (CIHA photo)
Each year, Cherokee Indian Hospital recognizes one of its employees as “Employee of the Year”, and the winner for 2014 is Christina Panther, manager of the Supply Department. A criterion for this award is integrity, responsiveness, teamwork, and innovation. Nominations are made by co-workers. The nominations are copied and distributed to a panel of reviewers who score them individually and finally the scores are tallied and ranked. Prizes include a coveted employee parking space, gift cards, education funding, and a Cherokee Indian Hospital desk clock.
“When Christina is faced with a job she doesn’t understand, she researches and learns about the job and gets it done,” Hospital officials said. “This includes the purchase and implantation of the MRI, the new Hospital Equipment and Capital acquisition, and the Renovation of the Immediate Care Clinic.”
In 2009, annual supply costs escalated approximately $150,000 in a single year and since that time Panther and her team have brought that back into control and minimized the growth to approximately $25,000 over the past five years.
“She is vital to all of our special projects, like the Pharmacy Renovation, Eye Clinic, and Pediatrics Clinic. In addition to all of her other duties, she is the hospital’s lead on furniture, fixtures and equipment for the new facility. She has saved the project a significant amount of money using our vendors and purchasing power for equipment acquisition reducing some department expense by more than 10 percent. She is diligent, committed to the success of the organization and a role model for stewardship.”
Other nominees this year included: Chenoa Gass, leader for the Healthy Heart Initiative; Kayla Holland, nurse educator; Brenda Johnson, billing department; Amanda Ledford, physical therapy department; Angela Long, diabetes program; Sally Penicks, infection control and employee health nurse; and Darlene Walker, diabetes program.
– Cherokee Indian Hospital
