The Above and Beyond Award is given quarterly to a CVHHH employee who goes the extra mile to provide outstanding service to the team, agency, or community. The awardee is chosen based on nominations by CVHHH staff and receives a $100 bonus. We are pleased to share that Barbara is the most recent recipient of the Above and Beyond Award! Read on to learn about Barbara and how she goes above and beyond at CVHHH.
Barbara joined the agency nearly five years ago as one of CVHHH’s two receptionists. It was the early days of the pandemic, and she was one of a handful of staff working on-site in CVHHH’s headquarters in Berlin. As folks began returning to the office, she finally met many of her colleagues in person – first with masks on and then again, without. This is a key role that is the first point of contact for every person – from patients, family members, donors, and referring providers – who calls the agency’s main phone number or enters the Berlin office. Barbara is an essential bridge between CVHHH and the Central Vermont community, helping to connect patients and their families with the care they need.
Q: What is your professional background?
A: I worked in retail and then was in banking for twenty years. I went from bookkeeper to a regional operations officer.
Q: What does your job look like day-to-day?
A: Birgit (who generally works the morning shift at the reception desk) and I are the first contact point for the organization. All calls to our main number come through the switchboard. It’s my goal to get patients to the right contact as quickly as possible. I know there’s nothing more aggravating – and we’ve all experienced it – than being sick and calling somewhere and getting bounced around. We also support almost every other department in the building. Birgit and I are janes of all trades.
“It’s my goal to get patients to the right contact as quickly as possible.”
Q: What do you find rewarding about this work?
A: Making a difference in someone’s experience in home health. Most people in Central Vermont have experienced home health, either themselves or through someone they know. When someone calls, there’s a live person taking their call. When I got out of banking, I said, “I want to do something that makes a difference.’
Q: Why do you think CVHHH is important to Central Vermont?
A: The most important thing is that people can get healthcare at home. One, so they can live in their home longer, and two, it gives their family the support they need. CVHHH continues to provide support after a person passes; it supports the survivors.
Q: When you’re not at work, what do you enjoy doing?
A: I’m family oriented. I have four grown children, six grandchildren, and several nephews. We do the usual: shopping and family game days. I love to read, do word searches, and play Words with Friends.
