Support Services Staff Honored for Essential Services

Olympic Medical Support Services Staff Honored for Dedication to Essential Services

PORT ANGELES  (September 29, 2020) – Olympic Medical Center’s Chief Human Resources Officer Jennifer Burkhardt honored Housekeepers Andrea Chapman and Malcolm Drakeford, Laundry Workers Sonya Woolsey and Evelia Jacobo Sanchez, and Security Officers Allen Brusseau and Derrick Findley at a recent board of commissioners meeting.

Since the onset of the pandemic, environmental service workers have cleaned and turned over the equivalent of 21,000 hospital rooms, including inpatient, short stay unit, operating rooms and emergency department.

Staff have also spent 622 hours cleaning special isolation rooms. They perform glow-in-the-dark dot-testing for accuracy when cleaning every room.

The laundry team has processed more than 542,800 pounds of laundry since early March – that’s more than 3,000 pounds of linen every day.

The security team has provided countless hours of protection for employees, patients and visitors, particularly assisting with disruptive situations. They also provide support when local law enforcement escort detainees for medical attention.

“It is clear that healthcare could not function without the dedication, integrity and hard work performed by support services staff,” said Burkhardt.

According to Julie Black, director of support services, “The OMC support services teams take care of keeping employees, patients and visitors safe, clean thousands of square feet of clinical and office space, clean all of the laundry and serve nutritious meals to patients and staff. Everyone has stepped up during this pandemic to make sure our environment is safe for our community.”

Possessing a kind and gentle nature and quick to help others, Malcolm Drakeford is keenly aware of the importance of his position.

Since joining our housekeeping team, Andrea Chapman hasn’t stopped moving and cleaning. She is an honest, hardworking, straight shooter that pays attention to the details.

Sonya Woolsey has a strong work ethic and can-do attitude, processes upwards of 2,500 pounds of laundry in a weekend and excels at keeping leadership informed during high-volume situations.

No job is too big for Evelia Jacobo Sanchez who starts her shift early each morning, works tirelessly to make sure everything is completed each day and always has smile on her face.

Security Officer Allen Brusseau maintains a high level of security and safety in our organization and is a master of de-escalation. His presence brings calm to disruptive situations.

Derrick Findley can quickly assess security issues when dealing with difficult situations in a very organized, calm and methodical manner, while expressing care and concern.

Pictured from top left: Malcolm Drakeford, Andrea Chapman, Sonya Woolsey, Evelia Jacobo Sanchez, Allen Brusseau and Derrick Findley.