Congratulations to our Winter 2024 Extra Inch Award winner, Matthew Clark, CNA, from our Medical Surgical department at Hillsdale Hospital! Going the “extra inch” is doing something above and beyond what is expected in service to a patient or their loved one. Their actions and/or words impressed you and truly made the patient or their loved one feel important and cared for in a way that had a special impact or stood out.
Matthew was nominated by his colleague, Penny Clark, who has witnessed his compassion for many patients. Penny felt prompted to nominate him for the Extra Inch Award because he treats patients with respect and kindness when they’re at their most vulnerable. She expressed how Matthew always responds to negativity with a positive attitude, going out of his way to inspire hope in the lives of our patients.
Matthew Clark, CNA, Medical Surgical
Winter 2024 Extra Inch Award Winner
“Matt was providing care to a confused and sometimes violent ICU patient as a one-on-one sitter. Matt did not just sit in the room and stare at the patient. Matt spent time talking and joking with the patient. Matt gave excellent care to the patient by giving him a bath in a way that made the person feel that he was a human being that someone cared about. Matt treated this person like family. The kindness that Matt treated the patient with was very humbling to observe. That level of kindness, and with the ease it was given, speaks highly to the integrity of Matt Clark as a person and co-worker. Matt’s compassion, kindness and gentleness to this person put the patient at ease and helped to decrease the patient’s anxiety and fear. The patient was more at ease with other staff and more cooperative as well. Matt gave not only care above and beyond the expected but did it so effortlessly that I am proud to know him. I learned something from him: Kindness ….compassion…gentleness…won’t cost you a thing, but the gift recieved….priceless.”
— Nomination by Penny Clark
Also nominated were Alex Gilbert, LPN, Emergency Department; Jasmine Gutierrez, NA, Medical Surgical; Julie Huraczy, Activities Coordinator, McGuire & MacRitchie Skilled Nursing Facility.
Alex Gilbert, LPN, Emergency Department
Winter 2024 Extra Inch Nominee
Alex helped me bathe a patient who is frequently in the ER and appears to not have the resources to take care of herself at home. The patient was very difficult to get cleaned up but Alex worked extra hard to get her cleaned up. He even went as far as speaking to Sarah from BHU to obtain clean clothes for the patient. Alex went above and beyond to ensure this patient’s cleanliness and wellbeing.
-Allison Sheffer
Jasmine Gutierrez, NA, Medical Surgical
Winter 2024 Extra Inch Nominee
Jasmine takes a lot of care with her patients. I witnessed her kindly assisting her patient with HS care, repositioning patient, and making sure the patient had everything she needed. The patient wasn’t being very nice to Jasmine, but Jasmine rose above and took great care with of her patient.
-Misty Moore
Julie Huraczy, Activities Coordinator, McGuire & MacRitchie Skilled Nursing Facility
Winter 2024 Extra Inch Nominee
Julie has always gone above and beyond for not only the staff but also the patients. I think she deserves the extra inch because she makes the residents and staff smile. She is the most helpful person I’ve ever met. Julie is a very personal person; she not only gets the job done but she shows she cares about everything the patient is saying. She will sit there for any of the patients and just listen to everything that’s going on. For the McGuire patients, that means a lot for her to take time out of her day to just listen. That makes them feel so good, especially when they’re in so much pain and alone with nobody to talk to. I know it makes them feel a little better. When she leaves their room, they have a big smile on their face and they all tell us how much better their day gets by having someone to talk to.
-Kennedy Wagner
