Retiring Residents lab director leaves lasting legacy | Premium

For about 40 years, Sammie Sue Hendrix has labored at Residents Medical Heart, and for many of that point, she has served as their lab director, although she would say she didn’t have the primary clue on the way to do the job when she was first employed to the place at age 26.

Now 65, the longtime lab director is retiring and will likely be transferring to Laurel, Miss. She is leaving a legacy not simply within the lab of Residents however all the hospital.

When Hendrix was rising up in Mississippi, she was all the time good at science and needed to use her abilities in a means that would depart an impression, so she pursued a bachelor’s diploma in medical expertise from Mississippi Faculty, she stated. Throughout Christmas break one yr, she met her husband, Tommy Hendrix, at her father’s rural grocery retailer. Initially from Snyder, he was working for an oil firm that transferred him to Mississippi. His work would carry them to Victoria, the place she would begin working for Residents Medical Heart.

Shortly after the beginning at Residents, the job of lab director grew to become accessible, and the hospital supplied it to her, she stated.

“You don’t essentially go to highschool and assume ‘I wish to go run a lab’ or be in a management function,” Hendrix stated. “When the hospital had that opening, they approached me and stated ‘We want you to be the lab director,’ and I stated ‘I don’t understand how to try this job.’ I used to be 26, and I used to be sincere, they usually stated ‘We expect you may learn to do this job.’”

Hendrix was unsure about her new place. In response, her husband received her a leather-based bag and gave it to her and advised her “You could not know the way to do the job, however should you carry this, it might appear to be you understand how to do the job,” she stated

“That was an enormous profession path for me that began then and daily I really feel I’m nonetheless studying how to try this job higher,” she stated.

Through the years, challenges and new alternatives have been a typical theme for Hendrix’s time at Residents.

Within the 40 years at Residents, she has served as an envoy to the neighborhood, a security officer, oncology coordinator and philanthropy officer.

And she or he additionally has excelled in all of these roles, stated Leilani Valdes, Residents medical director of pathology.

“Sammie Sue Hendrix used her presents of management, tenacity, ardour and mind to tirelessly work for the betterment of all the things she touched,” Valdes stated “Our neighborhood is richer, brighter and more healthy as a direct results of her work.”

Hendrix has seen her youngsters develop up and have summer season jobs at Residents. She has seen the hospital change from paper to digital data, the rise of affected person care by telemedicine and the convenience computer systems have made in getting outcomes into the palms of physicians a lot quicker.

“Well being care has moved in ways in which now we’re utilizing robotics, synthetic intelligence and what’s known as m’achine studying,’ and that’s not what I discovered in medical expertise faculty. I discovered the understanding of the fundamentals,” Hendrix stated. “To have grown up in a discipline that has superior to having the ability to handle COVID now occurring three years … It’s actually been a day by day training.”

COVID-19 was one of many greatest challenges of her profession, she stated. They have been overwhelmed with assessments each optimistic and unfavorable.

On this time of problem and all through her profession, Hendrix has remembered one factor from her mentor, Leonard Gietz.

“You will be profitable in well being care should you bear in mind you’re employed for the affected person,” Hendrix stated. “So no matter how far eliminated you might be from the affected person, that’s the work that we do.”

With that in thoughts, Hendrix led by instance by rolling up her sleeves in the course of the early levels of the pandemic as she helped her lab technicians with the huge variety of COVID-19 assessments they have been getting and guiding the Residents lab by means of that tough interval.

“It was all palms on deck,” Hendrix stated. “I placed on a lab coat and requested (the technicians) what can I do, they usually put me to work on assist steps … I did that for 28 days straight with out stopping as a result of I used to be setting the instance for them to simply persevere.”

Hendrix feels that her staff is stronger for going by means of it, because it has allowed them to enhance the place they’d shortcomings. Additionally they bonded, having gone by means of it collectively.

The 2 issues Hendrix is pleased with as she heads into retirement is the workers she’s forsaking, which has many members who’ve been together with her for 30 years, and the efforts she has made as a philanthropy officer.

“I’m new to the realm. I got here from a really massive lab, however I respect the sensation of household right here. You’re not a quantity right here,” lab technician Sheridan Limmer stated. “It says so much for Sammie Sue being right here for 40 years. I respect working with folks like that, the individuals who care and actually wish to make a distinction they usually dedicate their time, 40 years of her life, to creating this place higher and that’s the form of particular person I wish to be.”

Limmer has been with Residents for 2 years after transferring to Victoria from north Austin in the course of the pandemic. Limmer stated she felt Hendrix made it simple for her to develop comradery together with her friends somewhat shortly.

“She took an opportunity on me,” Limmer stated. “I had three years of expertise once I got here right here and I respect that.”

Numerous the instances, the older technology resists change from the newer technology, Limmer stated. She appreciates Hendrix being forward-thinking and advocating for the hospital to remain up with the instances, Limmer stated.

“This can be a county hospital, and it is fairly spectacular that the tools right here is corresponding to the place I left from,” she stated.

When she grew to become a philanthropy officer, The Residents Basis was needing to be reestablished and developed to see its full potential to meet its targets, Hendrix stated.

Her work has resulted within the buy of chemotherapy chairs, workers training, expertise for radiation remedy and the event of the Honor a Healthcare Employee program at Residents that enables sufferers, workers, and many others. to make a donation within the title of a well being care employee who has helped them or just honor them.

“A powerful advocate for leaving all the things higher than when she discovered it, her information and expertise have been a service to the neighborhood and a supply of inspiration for future leaders.” Valdes stated. “To say that she will likely be missed is a gigantic understatement, however she is going to go away behind her many in our neighborhood prepared to hold on her work.”

As Hendrix left on her final day, Friday, it was filled with tears and hugs galore as she stated goodbye to her colleagues.

Residents Nurse Supervisor Xiomara Foote was significantly emotional as a result of she has additionally been at Residents for about similar period of time as Hendrix.

“When folks go away, it simply takes part of your coronary heart away,” Foote stated, noting how Hendrix’s drive has impressed her and others.

Nevertheless, Hendrix advised Foote that this isn’t goodbye merely so long and that they may see one another once more.

“Sammie Sue has made a unprecedented impression at Residents Medical Heart. Her unparalleled dedication to attaining excellence has drastically benefited our hospital and affected person care by means of her course of our laboratory companies, most cancers program and philanthropy,” Residents CEO Mike Olson stated. “We’re profoundly grateful for her management, which we’ll drastically miss, although her excellent contributions will proceed to learn our hospital, sufferers and the neighborhood indefinitely.”

Hendrix is now going to retire the place it began for her, in Laurel, Miss., and can probably assist out on the native hospital there in some unspecified time in the future, however she is going to consider Residents typically as time continues to fly by.