- Members of The Bellevue Hospital Administrative Team surprise Connie Powell with flowers, balloons and a goodie basket as part of the Healthcare Worker of the Year nomination.
Connie Powell, RN, with The Bellevue Hospital’s (TBH) Family Birthing Center (FBC), is one of 62 finalists from around the State of Ohio for the Ohio Hospital Association’s (OHA) Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award. The winner and all nominees will be honored June 12 at a banquet in Columbus.
“Connie Powell represents the finest of TBH’s staff. She is extremely competent, very caring and always goes the ‘extra step’ to assure the best possible care for her patients,” said Michael K. Winthrop, President and CEO of TBH. “She has literally seen thousands of babies born at TBH, but to her each and every one is special.”
The Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award has been given annually since 1996 to one Ohio caregiver who personifies a leader who gives back to the community, routinely goes beyond the call of duty and has overcome odds to succeed. The award is presented at the OHA Recognition Dinner at the OHA annual meeting.
“Wow! What an honor to be nominated to represent TBH at Health Care Worker of the Year,” said Powell. “I feel no one does this alone. I thank my parents, Walter & Mary Hoepf (Powell is one of 15 children) for instilling in me strong values; my husband, John; and sons, Adam, Ryan and Eric for always being the wind beneath my wings.”
The nomination of Powell for the award reads in part: “Connie connects with her patients. She loves what she does and takes pride in her work of helping every new mom be successful and confident when taking home the newest family member.
“She has excellent communication skills and patience. Professionally, she asks questions and really listens to expand her knowledge and get a better understanding of a project. Connie is a teacher. All of her educational courses are informative and hands-on. When Connie is teaching, there are no dumb questions; she answers each question with dignity and respect. She places special emphasis on helping moms succeed at breastfeeding. Her parents and baby’s best interest are at the heart of all of her programs.
“Connie leads by example. Connie began her career at our hospital in the emergency room as a staff nurse and quickly moved to the head nurse position. When given the opportunity, she assumed the new duty to help establish the hospital’s new Family Birthing Center. She was the coordinator and nurse manager of the department, and now serves as the Childbirth Educator R.N. She has pursued her education and achieved her BSN. And if she thinks a program or seminar will benefit our patients, hospital and/or community, she might even take a vacation day to attend at her own expense. Then, once she learns a new skill or procedure, she shares her knowledge and expertise, creating a learning environment for all. She keeps up-to-date on recent research and emerging trends, and gleans what will be beneficial. Even though we are a small hospital, Connie doesn’t think small, and because of her, we were able to offer programs and services that may be seen only at larger facilities, or we will be the first to introduce the services at our facility.”
And finally, “Doing the Right Thing at the Right Time to the Best of Your Ability is the guiding philosophy of Connie Powell. One of her fellow nurses said, “If you are in an emergency situation, you want to look over and see Connie next to you, she has an OB instinct…she just knows.” She is well educated and informed and this is the level she wants the new moms and dads she works with to be. Her favorite quote is, ‘Knowledge is Power,’ and it is her belief that if the parents have an idea of what to expect in childbirth, they will be able to make the best decisions and be proactive in their delivery plans and they we be an involved member of their healthcare team. They will also be their own best healthcare advocates. However, if they aren’t able to be or can’t make a tough decision, the parents know they can count on Connie to have their and their baby’s best interest at heart. Her coworkers respect her abilities; her patients trust her. She is Ohio healthcare at its best.”
Finalized Winthrop, “Connie has educated scores of new patients on how to properly care for their newborn including visiting them in their home to assure all is going well. Connie meets all the criteria to be nominated as OHA’s Healthcare Worker of the Year, but one – going above and beyond the call of duty – is how I characterize Connie Powell!”
“My FBC co-workers and the entire TBH Family have all helped me advance my nursing career, but it is also the many patients that I have cared for over the years that have brought me to where I am today. I am very humbled to receive this award,” finalized Powell.
Connie and her husband, John, reside in Republic. They are parents of three sons and four grandchildren.