Three Passavant Area Hospital employees are being honored by the Illinois National Guard.
Jessica Ford, Karoline Myers, and Shannon Watson were presented with the Patriot Award from the Employer Support division of the National Guard and Reserve in October.
According to an announcement by Passavant today, the Patriot Award is given to a supervisor or manager who makes a special effort to support a working National Guard member including, flexible scheduling, time off before and after deployment, care for families, and, if necessary, leaves of absence.
Tamera Norton, who is a registered nurse in the Passavant transitional care unit made the nominations.
Norton is a sergeant in the Army National Guard, serving as a combat medic for 16 years, including one deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
She is assigned to the Headquarters Company 766th Brigade Engineer Battalion in Decatur and was activated to support state efforts in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Norton says it means a great deal to her that Memorial Health System has leaders who are willing to work with every aspect of the changes associated with activation for duty in the National Guard.
Jessica Ford is Norton’s nursing supervisor in the transitional care unit, and Karoline Myers coordinates scheduling in Nursing Administration. At the time the award was presented, Shannon Watson coordinated scheduling in Human Resources.
Norton says the team of Passavant employees provided a seamless transition that made this particular time less stressful, so she feels it important to recognize those who not only support our soldiers but those who support our communities in the background.
Myers says of Morton, that being willing to jump right in and take an active role in a pandemic is so heroic, and Tamera is always there, ready and willing to serve. She says she is always willing to help and be flexible with Tamera, however, needed.
Ford says it’s an honor to work with Norton, commenting that she shows such great pride in her work, both here at Passavant and with the National Guard.