ENA Members Among Ten Birmingham-Area Hospital Employees Honored

Ten Birmingham-area hospital employees were honored recently for their dedication to the health care industry at a luncheon hosted by the Birmingham Regional Council of the Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHA) in January. Among those honored were ENA members India Alford and Wendy Burns, as well as Alabama ENA immediate past president Karen Faircloth.

“I was proud to have the honor, but even more proud that Emergency Nurses are making this statement and being recognized for the good work that they do every day,” said Karen Faircloth.

The regional awards presentation was part of the association’s seventh-annual statewide “Hospital Heroes” contest, an effort to recognize the accomplishments and compassion of hospital employees and to highlight health careers. The contest culminated with a banquet in February during which the regional winners were honored as statewide heroes.

“If you’ve ever been in a hospital, chances are you’ve had a special caregiver who went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure your stay was not only productive, but comfortable,” said J. Michael Horsley, president of the Alabama Hospital Association. “It is these individuals we honor each year as Alabama’s Hospital Heroes, people who consider their work more than a job, who consider it a calling.”

A spotlight on the deserving ENA members and “Hospital Heroes” recognized this year:

India Alford, RN, BSN, ED Nurse Manager, UAB Hospital
India Alford began her career in emergency medicine as a technician in 1995 and today is a nurse manager for the Emergency Department at UAB Hospital. Her colleagues say Ms. Alford has a high degree of competency and professionalism tempered with an incredible sense of compassion and care for patients and their families. She is described as a problem solver who leads by example, encouraging her employees to look beyond the obvious illness or injury and provide optimal care for patients thus enabling them to return to their normal functioning. Coworkers share stories of how Ms. Alford organized a funeral in the Emergency Department for a patient’s wife as the patient was too sick to go to the funeral elsewhere. She also went above and beyond the call of duty in caring for a patient who had been in an automobile accident with her child. The child was transported to nearby facility, and Ms. Alford coordinated the transport of the patient to see her child and even accompanied her on the trip to provide emotional support

Wendy Burns, RN, nurse manager for the Emergency Department and the Intensive Care Unit at Citizens Baptist
Wendy Burns has been a nurse for 16 years, with the majority of those years spent in an emergency care setting. She is currently the nurse manager for the Emergency Department and the Intensive Care Unit at Citizens Baptist. As the Emergency Department manager, she is a leader for disaster preparedness training and implementation and serves on many committees throughout the hospital and community wide. A native of Talladega County, Wendy has done travel nursing and chose to return to her home town to practice. She brought with her experiences from other parts of the country and strives to ensure “best practices.” Wendy Burns received her nursing degree from Coosa Valley Medical Center School of Nursing. She is trauma nurse course certified and holds certifications in advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) and pediatric advanced life support (PALS). She also instructs training courses for ACLS and PALS certifications.

Karen Faircloth, RN, MSN, CEN, CRNP, FAEN, Director of Emergency Department, Trinity Medical Center
“Karen is the type of person who doesn’t see her day in minutes and hours,” said Andy Romine, chief nursing officer at Trinity Medical Center. “She is a nurse at all times and is frequently called upon by neighbors and employees in need of emergency care.” Currently, Ms. Faircloth, a 33-year employee of the Medical Center, serves as director of the Emergency Department. She is said to be committed to making improvements in patient care as evidenced by the tremendous progress made in reducing Emergency Department wait time. Thanks to her leadership, patients are now seen within 15 minutes and are typically discharged within two hours. Her dedication to patient care led to her selection as the Community Cares Champion for the hospital, a position that ensures staff members remain focused on the needs of patients and their families. Ms. Faircloth has also been a leader in the field of emergency care, serving on a local task force addressing stroke and as president of the Alabama State Council Emergency Nurses Association.