IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. – Jennifer Cheney, nursing assistant in the Community Living Center (CLC) at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center, accepted the national Own the Moment Patient Experience award on Monday, September 16 during the Customer Experience Award Ceremony in Washington D.C.
The Own the Moment award recognizes a VA employee that has provided the greatest impact on customer experience. Guiding principles of the award include connection and care, responding to patient needs, and supporting the journey. Nominees must display these guiding principles by actions that bring credit to themselves, their organization, and VA.
“I am truly blown away,” said Cheney. “I love taking care of our nation’s heroes. They sacrificed and fought for my freedom. Now it’s my turn to take good care of them.”
“We are very proud of Ms. Cheney,” stated Medical Center Director, Dr. John Shealey. “While we model servant leadership and focus on patient-centered care, actions such as Ms. Cheney’s are something we just cannot teach. It comes from the heart and shows her passion in caring for her patients.”
Ms. Cheney was nominated for the award for her efforts to support a Veteran and his wife during a critical period. The Veteran’s wife was hospitalized locally, but declined rapidly and was transitioned to hospice and placed in the intensive care unit. The Veteran was unable to go the hospital by himself, due to his care needs, and the family were not able to support the level of care he needed.
The Veteran was very distraught and concerned for his wife of fifty-plus years. They were very devoted to one another. She would visit often and was a familiar staple to the CLC staff and very supportive and involved in his care.
Ms. Cheney recognized the need to assist and offered to go with the Veteran to visit his wife. She quickly set up transportation and over the next three days, she and the driver both worked extensively to ensure the resident was able to visit with this wife. Sadly, the Veteran’s wife continued to decline, and doctors stated there were unable to do anything further for her. It was late in the evening, and the driver and Ms. Cheney were scheduled to return to the VA with the Veteran, but the Veteran did not want to leave his wife.
Ms. Cheney volunteered to stay with the Veteran, so he could remain with his wife. She sat with him until the early morning hours, when his wife passed, allowing the Veteran to be of comfort to her and giving them both the time they needed to say goodbye.
“While Veterans are with us, we do as much as possible to make the CLC feel like home for them,” commented CLC Nurse Manager, Kasey Lessard. “We appreciate Ms. Cheney’s efforts to go above and beyond for this Veteran and his wife.”
The OGJVAMC would like to congratulate Ms. Cheney for this award and express our gratitude for her ongoing care of Veterans.
