Snellville, Ga. (September 7, 2023) – Piedmont Eastside Medical Center recently hosted its annual Promise 360 Awards Celebration. The event recognized the hospital’s monthly winners from the past year and named the overall champion for the year for the hospital and two runners-up.
Lisa Treadwell, a charge nurse in the Progressive Care Unit at Piedmont Eastside, is a very compassionate person and is known to "nurse from the heart.” A patient’s family felt so moved by the care she provided that they found Treadwell on social media and left her a heartfelt message. It detailed how their family member felt at peace with Treadwell being in charge of her care.
Treadwell has been with Eastside’s PCU since 2019 and says nursing from the heart with compassion and empathy means making a connection with that patient and their family, whether it’s the beginning of life or the end of life, and she does that with every patient she comes in contact with, even their family.
"Providing the best care for our patients while comforting their family demonstrates Piedmont’s commitment to making a positive difference in every life we touch," said Larry Ebert, CEO of Piedmont Eastside. "I appreciate Lisa truly knowing what it means to be a champion of patient-centered care with the patient and the family."
The two runners-up at this year’s award ceremony were Tony Johnson and Mercy Oduah.
Johnson is an occupational therapy assistant. He was nominated for care he provided involving a patient who was experiencing a low quality of life and was struggling with the decision of whether to continue care that would prolong her life. She had no family support and had been hospitalized for nearly five months. Johnson encouraged her to try her best and to move her body to be able to take care of her Activities of Daily Living, or ADLs, and he maintained a positive attitude in a difficult situation as he provided her care. Ultimately, the patient went from being bedbound to walking up to 30 feet because of his persistence. "I feel like I'm fighting my body" the patient once said during one of her sessions. With his motivation, the patient was able to stand and walk on a day where she would have normally refused therapy all together. With perseverance and diligence, Johnson found a customized bariatric chair for her and was able to take the patient outside to enjoy a spring breeze and sunshine for the first time in five months.
Oduah is a Staff RN with Inpatient Rehabilitation (IPAR), and she went above and beyond for a patient. After being discharged from IPAR following therapy for a stroke, a patient was discharged home. When she arrived home, she experienced a number of potentially serious symptoms. Oduah identified the symptoms as a cause for concern and instructed her to call 9-1-1 because the symptoms could be associated with stroke. When Emergency Medical Services arrived, they rechecked her vital signs and encouraged the patient to go to the hospital. The patient declined going in the ambulance, and EMS stated it was safe for her to drive herself, but Oduah told the patient it was not safe for her to bring herself and instructed her to go to the hospital by ambulance for her safety. The patient agreed and allowed EMS to transport her for additional work-up. Because Oduah was so diligent with her follow-up, she was able to save the patient from causing more health issues.
"These three individuals, and all of the monthly champions who were recognized, are all excellent examples of Piedmont’s commitment to caring for our patients and the community," said Ebert. "The entire team at Piedmont Eastside performs incredible acts like this, day in and day out, showing their resiliency and creativity."
Patients, visitors, fellow staff members, or department leaders can nominate employees who go above and beyond for others for a Promise 360 award. The overall winner from each hospital in the Piedmont system becomes a nominee for the President’s Award, which will be presented in October.