The most recent Credo Award and Five Pillar Leader Award winners were announced Wednesday at the Clinical Enterprise Leadership Assembly at Langford Auditorium.
Steve Huffines, Pharm.D., director, Pharmacy Business Services, received the Five Pillar Leader Award, given for leadership in service, quality, growth/finance, innovation, and the promotion of staff and faculty satisfaction and commitment.
Huffines’ nominating letter read, “I can’t think of a better example of an employee who demonstrates the following Credo behaviors: I make those I serve my highest priority; I have a sense of ownership; I am committed to my colleagues. … Steve has earned respect and admiration across Vanderbilt on a level that takes decades to build and that only comes about through consistent professionalism, integrity and sacrifice of time and talent. Through patience and understanding, he finds the good and forgives the less than ideal. He makes the growth and development of the Pharmacy team members his top priority. He serves as a role model for how to communicate, how to make everyone feel valued and how to bring the best out of each individual. I have heard numerous Pharmacy employees say that they wanted to do a great job, because they simply could not disappoint Steve. That is what a true leader does. They motivate and inspire others to give their best.”
Credo Awards honor staff and faculty who exemplify the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Credo.
The latest award winners are: Clair Brigman, training representative, HR Organizational Effectiveness; Cathrine Hayes, pediatric audiologist, Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center; and James (Nick) Hopkins, Pharm.D., supervisor, Oncology Pharmacy.
Under a Vanderbilt University Medical Center program called Project Opportunity, Brigman’s work includes providing job skills training for adults with developmental disabilities.
Her nominating letter read, “Her ability to connect with our interns who live with cognitive disabilities is a gift. … Clair’s belief in this vision is one of the main reasons our program has been so successful. She connects as a fellow human … and our interns feel that. She has a way of explaining a very complicated interview and hiring process in a way that everyone can understand and ultimately, wants to be a part of.”
Hayes’ nominating letter read, “Cathi is a wonderful example of a Vanderbilt employee who consistently goes above and beyond to deliver the highest quality of care to her patients. She consistently spends extra time with families to ensure they leave the appointment feeling prepared for procedures and having all of their questions answered. Cathi deserves to be recognized because she does all of these things without expecting any type of recognition. She does it because she wants what is best for both the patients and employees of the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center.”
Hopkins’ nominating letter read, “Nick has a keen sense of ownership and always conducts himself professionally. He has a great work ethic and many in the department respected him because of his commitment.
“His commitment to our area is sincere — he feels that success at our remote pharmacy location is a reflection on all of pharmacy. He readily helps ease the path for us to receive support, so that we almost feel like we are on campus with the rest of the department. He has been a great person to go to when things need to get done.”
