Honoree: Martha Martinez, Manager of Interpreters Program, Maricopa Integrated Health System
Martha Martinez has accomplished many things since immigrating to the U.S. two decades ago from Mexico. Five years after moving to the U.S., Martinez began working the night shift as a housekeeper at Maricopa Medical Center. This way she could enroll in ESL (English as a second language) classes during the day. As her English steadily improved, doctors and nurses would ask Martinez to provide translations for Spanish-speaking patients. Martinez gladly volunteered her services. Later, when Maricopa developed a formal interpreters’ program, Martinez joined its pilot program. Now, Martinez is the language services supervisor and manager of the interpreters program for Maricopa Integrated Health System (MIHS).
Martinez manages a staff of 22 interpreters who are fluent in six languages, including Spanish, Somali, Burmese and Swahili. She also is often asked to translate complex medical papers for the center. Her work encourages safety and confidence toward the hospital, while also improving communication between caregivers and patients. In fact, in 1997 Martinez earned her certification in pre-natal education when she discovered there was a critical lack of such knowledge available to Spanish-speaking mothers.
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Finalist: Nathan Lewis, Pre-Hospital Coordinator, Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center
As pre-hospital coordinator for Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center, Nathan Lewis is constantly working to improve the hospital’s relationships with emergency responders and the quality of care the emergency department and the responders provide.
Lewis is responsible for interacting with crews, fielding a scope of practice questions and following up with patient outcomes under the Quality Assistance process. Along with his other duties, Lewis pioneered Project Lifenet, a partnership with the Surprise Fire Department, to create a 12-lead digital field EKG. With Lifenet, diagnostic quality digital EKGs can be transmitted from the field to computers and smart phones.
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Finalist: Jean Revard, Director of Food/Environmental Services, Paradise Valley Hospital
A 25-year veteran of the health care food management industry, Jean Revard currently works as director of food and environmental services at Paradise Valley Hospital. She manages a staff of 37 people and oversees many diverse aspects of the hospital’s operations, from food preparation for patients to checking that all patient rooms and hospital areas are adequately maintained.
As co-chair of Paradise Valley Hospital’s Good to Great program, Revard facilitates a team of hospital leaders who identify different problems within the hospital, brainstorm creative solutions and then work on turning those plans into a reality. Her work has garnered Revard the respect of her colleagues.
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