Craig Albers, RN, MSN, (pictured above, left) hospital president at Mercy Health – St. Charles Hospital, has been with the ministry for more than 20 years. And his colleague, Jean Davila, RN, MSN, (pictured above, right) vice president of nursing in our Toledo market, recently recognized him by sharing the extreme lengths that Craig goes to ensure his colleagues are safe, comfortable and able to help those in need, despite extreme circumstances.
In her recognition, Jean shares, “Craig – you live and breathe the Mercy mission EVERY DAY! This week, you picked up and dropped off some of our team members during the snowstorm. Not only did you take the opportunity to chat with them, but you also brought them coffee, too.”
Craig selflessly volunteered himself to be a part of the snowstorm transportation team and has been assisting our team members in their travels to work through extreme weather conditions for the past nine years.
“Having the right team members available to provide patient care is crucial to our patients receiving the best care they deserve. So, it’s an easy decision to help my teammates get safely to work, so we can work together to provide amazing care for our patients and families,” Craig says. “And getting coffee for them was a surprise for them, during what was probably a frustrating morning. I wanted to help them prepare for the day to take care of our patients.”
On these days where his fellow team members can’t make it in to work, Craig wakes up at 3 a.m. to clear his own driveway of the heavy snowfall to ensure he will be ready to pick up his coworkers for their early morning shifts.
“I do this until I start my workday, and then after my workday, if people need rides home, the command center will call me and ask me to transport them home,” he adds. “It is a great process to make sure our patients have the team of health care providers that they need to care for them. I am happy to help out in any way I can to make that happen.”
Jean shares that she has worked with many leaders throughout her professional career in health care, but Craig has stood out to her for his genuine compassion for the St. Charles team.
“As a president, Craig is visible, approachable and involved in all levels of the organization,” she says. “He knows everyone by name. He takes time to get to know people and is willing to jump in to help in any situation: transporting ED patients, picking up associates during snowstorms. This is not common across health care. Craig truly cares.”
And when asked how Craig’s selfless and compassionate acts impacts his team, Craig shares, “I hope my team members feel like I’m there for them and willing to do whatever it takes to help them, our patients and their families. There are challenges in health care that we are faced with daily, and I try to do the best that I can to meet those challenges.”
He adds, “I know I am not perfect, and I learn every day of how I might do some things differently in the future. Ultimately, I want my team to feel supported by myself and the entire leadership team at our hospital. They are at the point of care with every patient and family member, so they are the most important people. I need to be there for them.”
Brett recently received a Leader Award in the Called to Shine program, our ministry’s digital recognition program which allows our team members to recognize anyone across the ministry at any time with personalized messages. Our leaders can also allocate points to recognitions they send, and employees can redeem these points for merchandise, experiences and much more.
This holiday season, we are celebrating by spreading the good news! Read more feel-good stories, like this one, that feature our team members, patients and the wonderful communities we are blessed to serve.
