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Contact: Sarah Bello

Nearly 60 caregivers nominated by their peers for awards

ASTORIA, Ore. — Each year, CMH caregivers are asked to nominate their colleagues who exemplify person-centered care for Spirit of Care Awards. This year, there was a record number of award nominees: nearly 60!

“It is a joy to attend this ceremony each year and read the nominations from fellow caregivers,” says Erik Thorsen, CEO. “The Spirit of Care nominees and winners demonstrate the high quality care we aim to offer our community every day.”

The provider and caregiver winners of the awards are chosen by the Person-Centered Care Steering Committee, Patient & Family Advisory Council (PFAC) and PFAC Hispano. As the winners, they are given the opportunity to attend the Planetree Global Person-Centered Care Forum, which will be in Baltimore, Maryland, in October.

This year’s winners are Dr. Sarah Humphrey, OB/GYN in the CMH-OHSU Health Obstetrics & Gynecology Clinic, and Tommy Hammonds, Urgent Care medical assistant.

Sarah Humphrey, MD
Dr. Sarah Humphrey is a board-certified OB/GYN and has been a provider at CMH since August 2018. In her nomination, a caregiver wrote:

“Dr. Humphrey is one of the hardest working providers at CMH. She is constantly adding appointments to her schedule and is always asked for by patients. She is a great listener and has provided excellent care in all of my appointments. I trust her, and she makes me feel safe when I see her. With her ability to speak Spanish, she has also been able to build trust with Spanish-speaking patients in the community. I can’t recall if she has won a Spirit of Care Award in the past, but she is absolutely deserving. She is a gem, and I hope she stays at CMH forever!”

Tommy Hammonds, MA
Tommy Hammonds is a medical assistant in the CMH Urgent Care Clinics. Before becoming an MA, he worked in the EMS field. In his nomination, a fellow caregiver wrote:

“Tommy consistently displays his commitment to patient-centered care and the Promise of Excellence. In the last six months, he has had two Great Catches around medication safety in clinics.

“Over the last six months, patients have made a point to call out their interactions with him in the clinics. Here are some of the things they had to say: ‘Tommy is the most exceptional MA I’ve encountered and really appreciate his attentiveness!’ ‘The MA, Tommy, was exceptional with my daughter. She’s five, and he made her feel heard and comfortable. He listened to her symptoms and the added off-topic information she included, as children often do. Tommy helped her to not be scared for her throat culture by talking through everything and showing her what would be done.

‘He was firm but compassionate when she wanted to back out of doing the culture. His demeanor made it easy for myself, as well, because I didn’t need to intervene to help him. He helped bring out her bravery. Tommy is easily the best MA I’ve ever seen with a pediatric patient.’ ‘The [MA], Tommy, was amazing and caring.’ ‘Well, Tommy was extremely professional and kind! Not only that, but an excellent listener with a great sense of humor.’

“Tommy embodies what CMH is all about and lives it everyday!”

Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners! Thank you for your excellent care.