Vanessa Comacho, patient tray line supervisor
St Joseph Hospital Elgin (Ill.)/Touchpoint
Nominator: Brian Dawson, senior director of dining services, Touchpoint
“Tray line supervisors typically spend most of their time in the kitchen ensuring diets are compliant, food is the correct temperature and that meals go out on time to patients. Vanessa Comacho is an exception to that standard.
Vanessa not only is an exceptional leader, supervisor and model for others to follow, she takes time during her shifts to visit patients, shadow her tray passers and complete patient recovery rounds on those patients who are having difficulties with their diets or meals.
Additionally, Vanessa jumps in to assist cooks when they are struggling or are short, assists in the pot and pan area when they are behind or short staffed, and has even received deliveries in emergent situations...all without being directed or asked.
These traits alone put her in a category that goes, ‘Above and Beyond’, but then she goes even further as she has put together birthday and anniversary celebrations for patients that were unlucky enough to have to spend their special days with us in the hospital!!”