>June 25, 2021

Memorial Hospital honors phlebotomist for May Wow Moment

During the big winter storm in February, the weather wreaked havoc across the state and severely impacted Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital. Between the frigid temperatures, lack of electricity and no water, many of our hospital staff were either stranded or struggled to come in to cover their shifts. The laboratory was lucky to have several staffers who were able to come in to provide support and stay in-house to ensure 24-hour coverage.

“But we had one lab staff member, Ann Garza, that went above and beyond,” said Janine Bey, laboratory director. “Ann not only volunteered to stay when others were unable, but she essentially provided the only phlebotomy support over a 48-hour period. Ann Garza is one of our laboratory’s shining stars and she shined brightly with her compassionate patient care approach as a skilled phlebotomist during this critical time.”

“Ann essentially worked nonstop in the first 24 hours and slept for only a few hours, then woke up again to provide phlebotomy service for the rest of the 48-hour period. For most of that critical 36 hours, Ann was the sole phlebotomist on duty. She continued to be on duty throughout the last day before the storm broke,” said Janine.

For working so hard and going the extra mile to ensure critical phlebotomy services were provided throughout this winter storm disaster, Nacogdoches Memorial recognized Ann Garza for the May Wow Moment of the Month. Thank you, Ann, for putting our patients above all else!

See more Memorial Hospital news in the latest edition of New Direction (PDF) >