Anniversary Celebration Salutes Longtime Staff’s Stellar Service

Anniversary Celebration Salutes Longtime Staff’s Stellar Service

Sarasota Memorial recently held a Service Anniversary Celebration to honor the dedication and contributions of 800 employees recognizing length of service on Team SMH ranging from five years to an incredible five decades!

After taking place virtually for the past couple of years, the celebration was held in-person at the Sarasota Hyatt to accommodate the large number of attendees.

Medical Laboratory Technician Lenora “Nori” Yoder, who retired just a few weeks ago, was the longest-serving employee, with 50 years of service! In fact, she was SMH’s first employee to reach the 50-year mark. When she started in 1971, Nori’s four-person department was located behind the cafeteria on the first floor of the hospital. Now located in the Critical Care Center, the Laboratory-Microbiology Department has more than 30 staff serving hundreds of thousands of patients, and the team has played a key role in the hospital’s pandemic response.

Several of Nori’s family members have worked at SMH over the years, and her daughter continues to uphold the tradition in our Patient Registration Department!

Thanking Nori Yoder for her exceptional five decades of service are Laboratory Director Harold Vore, left, and Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder, right.

Just a few years behind Nori are two employees each celebrating a remarkable 45 years with the organization: Clara Rock, RN in Labor & Delivery (and our longest-serving nurse providing patient care), and Kyle Clement, Pharmacy Tech 2. Congratulating them are their managers Abby Olsen of the Delivery Room, left, and Edward McLean of the Pharmacy, right, with CEO David Verinder, center.

Marking their 40th service anniversary are Pam Beitlich, second from right, executive director of Women & Children’s Services; Judith Crider, fifth from right, certified surgical technologist 4; Sandra Dibler, seventh from right, RN in the Cath Lab; and Karen Van Der Weert, fourth from right, Vascular Access Team nurse. Congratulating them are nursing leaders Connie Andersen, sixth from right, Rebecca Feeley, eighth from right, Megan Gilkerson, left, and Kaylyn Williams, third from right, along with CEO David Verinder.

Celebrating 35 years, from left, are Lisa Baumgardner, director of Education, Clinical Practice & Research; Barbara Delaney, RN in the OR; Linda Kelleher, pharmacy case manager in Medical Management Services; Marsha Cooper, technical specialist in the Lab; Debra Hermann of Quality Improvement; John Bekemeyer, director of Business Intelligence; Ken LeBoutillier, manager of Pharmacy Services; and CEO David Verinder, who happened to be celebrating his 15th year of service at the event.

Marking three decades of service at SMH are, l-r, Suzanne Casey, RN, Delivery Room; Matthew Lydecker, patient care technician in Cardiac/Med Surg; Laurel Beck, RN, Pediatrics; Cherie Cecci, lead analyst in Clinical and Business Systems; Hafdis Sigurdson, LPN II, Pre-Operative Care Unit; Aida Osborne, physical therapist in Rehab; Debbie Dietz, RN, Emergency Care Center; CEO David Verinder and Lori Richards, sourcing agent, Supply Chain.

Check out the photo galley below to see other pictures from the event! And CLICK HERE to see the full list of honorees! (Please allow time for document to load.)

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