If you ask his colleagues, Olympic Medical Physicians Clinic Supervisor Josh Lewis makes everything go ‘round.
Lewis, who was recently named the Olympic Medical Center BEE (Being Excellent Every Day) honoree, is the “secret weapon that every department needs to survive and thrive.”
OMC Chief Executive Officer Darryl Wolfe and Clinic Manager Michelle Samples presented Lewis with the award, which was established by OMC to recognize staff members, both clinical and non-clinical, who exceed expectation in service excellence every day.
“Josh exemplifies the qualities of leading by example,” Samples said in a press release. “We are so appreciative of his flexibility, positivity and willingness to jump in and help when needed.”
Lewis was presented with the service excellence award after a wide-ranging nomination blew the BEE Committee away with its praise of Lewis’s “unfailing” friendliness, unmatched work ethic, and the way he “truly cares about his staff.” According to them, Lewis is the “MVP of Specialty”:
“On your first day at work as Specialty staff you are usually introduced to Josh Lewis. Josh … is our ‘things’ guy. If you have a question about people, go to your supervisor. If you have a question about things, no matter what it is, check with Josh. But along the way we have all learned that Josh is so much more than just our ‘things’ guy. Josh is the secret weapon that every department needs to survive and thrive. We lean on him to keep our clinics functioning, day in and day out. Josh makes an amazing effort to make what we do possible, and his creativity and reliability allow us to enjoy working with him while he does so. He is unfailingly friendly, showing up with a big smile, his bright blue drinks, and a self-effacing sense of humor. He makes rounds multiple times a day to ensure things are running smoothly, sometimes racking up over 20,000 steps daily. That’s about 8.5 miles, just to make sure we’re all okay!”
Staff continued to write, “We have learned that there is no question we cannot ask Josh, and no request we cannot make. Not to say that he fills them all – we are still waiting on that couch we requested for the G.I. clinic! But if it is in his power to deliver, he will. If he knows the answer, he gives it. If he doesn’t, he finds it. And he does so without ever making anyone feel embarrassed about their questions and requests, no matter what they are. In any clinic you can hear someone say, “that sounds like a Josh question!” multiple times a day. Likewise, if we reach out to him with specific concerns that we would like addressed, Josh takes them seriously and investigates what can be done to address them. If there is no way to solve the issue, he is upfront and transparent about that. But if something can be done he will continue to follow up, doing what he can to ensure that we feel heard and have our issues resolved.
If you send Josh an SOS he is always there to help. When supplies run low, he ensures we get them in short order, often tracking them down and bringing them to the clinic himself. When we were running out of room for our supplies, he researched ways to make our storage more efficient. When an MA lost access to a crucial part of EPIC he spent days working closely with them and Clinical Informatics to fix the issue, keeping the MA updated every step of the way.
We aren’t sure how he does it, but he never seems to be too far away or too busy to assist. He somehow manages to get us out of almost any jam we find ourselves in. Added an urgent appointment and need supplies not regularly stocked in your clinic? Josh has got your back. Need medications immediately? He’s walking them over. We ask Josh for anything and everything, from binder clips to Smartsheet access. Whatever you need, there he is. We dread when he goes on vacation and we spend the whole time asking each other when he’ll be back. Nothing ever works right when he is away.
Staff continued to say, “Above all, it is important to note that Josh truly cares about the staff. He often checks in on staff who are having a hard time outside of work, personally reaching out or stopping by their desk to see how they are doing. He goes out of his way to make sure we know he hasn’t forgotten about requests and concerns that are personally important to us. He constantly reminds us that he just wants to make our jobs easier – and he does! He has cultivated a measure of trust and respect that are a direct reflection of how much he cares for this team.
“None of us could do our work without his support and dedication to our team. Josh is not just our ‘things’ guy – he really is the MVP of Specialty. He is irreplaceable, and the only bee on the planet we are always happy to see flying across the OMC campus! We are truly grateful to have him here.”
Olympic Medical staff may be nominated for the BEE Award by patients, families and colleagues. Each honoree receives a certificate commending her or him on “Being Excellent Every Day.”
Honorees also receive a BEE Award pin and a gift bag containing a jar of local honey. A cross-functional committee of healthcare workers review the nominations and select the final nominee.
Go to www.olympicmedical.org/thankyou for more information or to nominate an excellent Olympic Medical Center staff member.
The BEE Award (Being Excellent Every Day) was established to honor and celebrate Olympic Medical Center employees who exceed expectations in service excellence every day.
