News

Employee of the the year for 2003 nominees are:

Memphis - Joe Ann Ross, LPN
Dothan - Tracey Mathis, LPN
Bham - Thelma Mixon, LPN
Jax - Judy Trott, RN
Orlando - Karen Wasem, RN
PSL - Eula Tomlinson, CNA
Daytona - Pagette Mays, CNA
Tarpon - Sylvie Nevenkin, LPN
Lakeland - Barbara Sellers, LPN
Melbourne - Julie Lewis, LPN
Tavares - Kathy Murphy, RN
Gainesvilee - Gloria Mathis, RN
Lake City - Ruby Markham, LPN
Ocala - Angie Lee, CNA

the Winner is for 2003...

Judy Trott is Suwannee Medical Personnel's Employee of the Year!

Judy will be recognized at our regional meeting in Savanaugh, GA on August 4th, where she will receive her award and gift. Congratulations to all of the branches and their employee selections.

Reflections by Chris Fortner, President and CEO

I had the pleasure of meeting Judy Trott in Jacksonville in 1989. I can't take the credit for hiring Judy; rather she 'hired' my brother Michael, my sister Ginger and me. Between the four of us, we formed a firm and lasting bond, one that has spanned fifteen years. That year, we had a large contract with the City and were establishing our second office there. The problem was we had few nurse within the area to service the Duval County Jail. When she decided to 'hang her nurses cap' with Suwannee Medical Personnel, I told her about our dilemma, "We need nurses Judy, excellent nurses like yourself."

So Judy being Judy cheerfully decided to help us solve our problem. "I'll get them for you" she replied. "How many do you need?"

"Lots, Judy, a lot of nurse." I answered and thought to myself that she might have one or two persons that she could 'strong-arm' into joining a new agency that not many within the urban area had heard of at that time. But lo and behold nurses started calling and coming in to our little one room, makeshift office on Goodman road. "Judy sent me." All would say. And that seemed to be enough. Enough for fifty qualified, excellent nurses to take a chance "on us" and come to work with SMP immediately. Why were they willing to do such a thing? Because Judy Trott said we were worth the risk. And so we lived up to her promises. WE felt compelled to do so because Judy trusted us, the nurses trusted her and we certainly trusted Judy. We still do.

Judy easily solved our problem in those long ago days.

In 1994, she came to our aid once again when we purchased Norrell Healthcare Staffing in Jacksonville and ventured into the homecare business. We were surprised and elated to find that Judy was already on staff as a homecare nurse. AT that time Judy knew more about the "business" of homecare than I did. She began to teach me the ropes and I was her willing and apt student. So this time I "hung my hat" on Judy's expertise and excellent homecare skills and she provided the paradigm of excellence in treating patients in the alternative settings of their homes.

The fact that ten years later, she is still solving both patient problems (and our own) is the primary reason that it is with great pleasure I announce she has been selected as Suwannee Medical Personnel's Employee of the Year.

Because I have known and worked with Judy for years and that fact that she is not only an exemplary employee, but my good friend as well, people might speculate that I "chose" Judy for this honor. I would like to take credit for such good sense, but I "stayed out" of the rigorous objective and subjective selection process. In the search for "employee of the year", the Jacksonville administrative staff chose Judy to represent their district. Judy easily fit all the qualifications each office was "looking for"; she was dependable, always willing to undertake new tasks and challenges, not only competent in skills, but superior in all ways, easy to get along with, supportive of everything that was asked of her, loyal, trustworthy,…and so much more…

Jan Rosier, Client Service Supervisor recommended Judy in a narrative submitted to Vice-President Fred Rogers. Even with all the wonderful superlative summations given by administrators in eighteen district offices regarding the myriad of abilities of many nurses that all could easily fit the criteria for employee of the year, Fred supported Judy's rare talents. The selection committee concurred.

Judy is one of the most wittiest and most focused persons I have ever met. On of the funniest stories I have hear about Judy (and they say many) revolves around Judy's single-minded focus (when it comes to putting her vocation above herself) regarding the birth of her daughter, Nicole Latoya in 1985. Suwannee Medical Personnel's former Director of Nursing, Debra Williams told my brother, sister and me that when they were both employed as nurses at on of the largest hospitals in Jacksonville Judy was 'slightly worried' about what she thought might be a gastric tumor; her stomach was distended and she was suffering from both indigestion and nausea. As many persons within the health care field who give such excellent care to others but neglect warning signs in their own health, Judy had not seen a doctor. (This is the epitome of old adage about physicians healing themselves.) One day while on duty she found herself with terrible 'abdominal' pains and her co-workers 'forced' her to go to the emergency room downstairs. Lo and behold, she found that she was about to give birth! Her devotion to other had clouded her own pregnancy. Her baby daughter was born on September 2, and everyone at that hospital (doctors, nurses and staff) rallied around to provide the necessities for taking her daughter home from labor and delivery. Even though Judy might not have realized the "coming event", Nicole "Nikki" was and is still the apple of her eye. Nikki was a precious child and now is a beautiful young woman. I can say with all sincerity that I have enjoyed watching her grow up (as I have many children of our long term employees her at Suwannee Medical Personnel). Now Nikki is pursuing a career with Southtrust Bank.

Judy was born in New York, however her Father's was 'career Air Force' so she had the good fortune of living in many places around the world and has seen much of the world. She graduated from nursing school in London, England. She specialized in pediatrics in Lucerne, Switzerland. She has offered her exemplary services to hospitals and health care facilities in a myriad of places, among them Hong Kong, Bermuda, Trinidad, and Hawaii. She came to Jacksonville Florida in 1982 and North Florida became an even better place when she decided to stay and make it her permanent home.

Judy is always self-effacing in her comments about herself, "I can never know too much" is one of her expressions. I've found that Judy is too modest for she does know very much and imparts her knowledge for the good of her patients. She always has time to explain the intricacies of their individual diagnoses. She patiently teaches the "clients" about the medicines each are taking, how it works with other medications and exactly what tit does to combat disease, elevate a condition and aid in the recovery process.

The regional meeting in Savannah Georgia on August 4, 2004 will be an exciting day for both Suwannee Medical Personnel and me. On that date I will get to give my good friend Judy Trott her "just due" and "just desserts" by bestowing the honor of Employee of the Year and presenting her and her daughter Nikki with a three-day cruise to celebrate this occasion. I sincerely admire Judy and wish her all the best. I hope that our long and successful relationship will continue for many more years.

Sincerely,

Christopher Roberts Fortner