This does not even begin to explain everything a nurse is or does!

All across the country this week (May 6-12), hospitals, clinics and the like will do all they can to recognize and thank the millions of nurses that do their very best each and every day to save lives, heal wounds, and rehabilitate patients.  No thank you card, duffle bag, or coffee cup could ever fully explain the amount to which we lean on these professionals in one of the most intense and demanding fields.  We at Aureus would like to thank each and every one of you for your dedication, perseverance, and caring hearts.  Thank you.

Brannen Betz, General Manager - Aureus Medical Nursing Division

Brannen Betz is the General Manager for the Nursing division at Aureus Medical Group. He started with Aureus in 1999 as a Recruiter. He worked his way up to Branch Manager in Allied Health in 2002. He stepped into his current role as General Manager for Nursing in 2003. Brannen was born and raised in Denver, CO. He attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where he played collegiate baseball. Brannen has two children, daughter Ellee (10) and son Nate (8). He spends his free time coaching youth sports, playing hockey and wakeboarding.

BBetz@aureusmedical.com / 800.856.5457, ext. 2210 / www.aureusmedical.com

Medical Laboratory professionals, as a whole, often go into work and don’t see 99% of the patients, staff of other departments, administrators, or visitors.  If recognition was something a laboratory professional was looking for, they would be quick to find out that they are in the wrong field of work. 

As I have stated before, laboratory professionals are the hub for just about everything that is done for the patients in the hospital. There are very few patients that would go the hospital and/or clinic when they are ill and not have a lab professional involved with the care of the patient. This care may not necessarily be direct care, but it’s still a very important “behind the scenes” care.  When the tests are run and diagnosis is determined, a lab tech had a key role in that process.  There was no “thank you” or “great job.” Instead, it is off to the next test. 

However, without all the laboratory professionals in the field, patients going to the hospital or clinic would not receive the diagnosis, treatment, or care they need to overcome their illness.  We do see the difference you all make in people’s lives every day!  On behalf of myself and Aureus Medical here is a very big THANK YOU for everything you do!  Have a fantastic Laboratory Professionals Week and please accept our recognition and gratitude.

Mark Engelbart, Branch Manager-Medical Laboratory division

Mark Engelbart started with Aureus Medical in June 1999. He began as a Recruiter and within four months became an Account Manager in the Imaging division. He worked his way up, becoming a Team Leader in 2002 and then a Branch Manager in Imaging in 2007.  Mark then moved to the Medical Laboratory division in June 2009. He currently serves as the Branch Manager for both Medical Laboratory and Imaging.  He and his wife, Michelle have three sons: Jake (9), Tyler (6), and Blake (3).

Loni W., Registered EEG Tech
Loni has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Cardiopulmonary Division of Aureus Medical Group.  She is incredibly knowledgeable and an excellent representative for our company.  Loni has completed three assignments with Aureus so far and is currently expanding her skills by working in intraoperative monitoring in New Mexico.  All three contracts started as 13-week assignments but they were all extended to six-month terms because of Loni’s skill level, professionalism and attitude. She has received nothing but rave reviews from her managers and from her Account Manager.  Loni represents Aureus well in all she does, even recruiting a few other travelers to join the Aureus family.

Julie D., General and Vascular Sonographer
Julie has been awarded Employee of the Quarter for the Imaging Division of Aureus Medical Group.  An easygoing healthcare professional, Julie has been described as one of the most caring and compassionate techs one client manager had ever worked with. She has received rave reviews from every facility she has worked for and her Account Manger often receives requests to have Julie return. Currently on her 11^th assignment with Aureus, Julie is always most concerned with how she can help the facility and where she can make an impact. Thank you, Julie, for your continued dedication and for representing Aureus so well.

Connie S., Medical Technologist
Connie has been awarded Employee of the Quarter for the Medical Laboratory Division of Aureus Medical Group.  Connie is a fantastic traveler, always flexible with shifts and gets rave reviews from the client facilities.  Her managers say she is always upbeat, a great worker, and willing to help out wherever and whenever she is needed, often extending her assignments.  Connie is consistently asked to stay on full time, but enjoys traveling. Thank you, Connie, for your dedication and commitment to your profession.  We appreciate all you do!

Janice B., RN
Janice has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Nursing Division of Aureus Medical Group. Kim has worked for Aureus for over two years and is the blueprint of what a travel nurse should be. She is dependable, positive, organized, and a great communicator. According to one client, “Janice had done a contract for me before and when I had a need again, I sought her out due to the excellent reputation she earned while here. She is a true joy to work with.” We are fortunate to work with Janice and Aureus is proud to have her as part of the Aureus Medical team.

Joe T., Occupational Therapist Assistant
Joe T. has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Rehabilitation Therapy Division of Aureus Medical Group. Joe is the type of traveler we all wish for, and would give anything to be able to have a 1000 more just like him.  He is incredibly reliable, missing work only a few times in the last 5 years of contracts, with little to no time off.  Joe exudes positivity wherever he goes, and tends to bring everyone around him up to his level of fun.  More than once, Joe has heard that more than anything the employees and residents of a facility miss his bellowing laugh upon his departure.  Joe has a special ability to motivate the unmotivated, brighten the day of all those around him, and turn once tense situations into easy going interactions.  Joe has completed 14 consecutive assignments with Aureus, and is currently in route to complete his 15th.  While on assignment, Joe has repeatedly been asked to stay or come back, proves to be incredibly flexible and willing to do whatever he can to help out, and is always willing to take the most difficult patients for the good of the team.  We are extremely proud to have him representing Aureus Medical in the field.

Teresa M., Polysomnographer
Teresa has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Cardiopulmonary Division of Aureus Medical Group. Teresa has worked for Aureus since 2007 and is currently on her 10^th assignment. She is a hard-working Sleep Tech and has been requested back by several previous clients. Her current manager said that she is “one of the best Sleep Techs” he has ever seen in the field. Teresa was asked to be our Sleep Clinical Consultant in 2010 and has done a phenomenal job as our representative. Aureus is very proud to have her as one of our employees!

Annie A., CT/X-Ray Technologist
Annie has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Diagnostic Imaging Division of Aureus Medical Group. Annie has worked for Aureus since 2004 and completed over 23 assignments. She is such a hard worker, putting in over 45 hours a week and working the overnight shifts. Our hospitals adore her and have provided only glowing evaluations. Annie is the epitome of a model traveler!

Daphne P., Medical Technologist
Daphne has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Medical Laboratory Division of Aureus Medical Group. Daphne has worked for Aureus for over three years and completed many assignments. She is a wonderful representation of our company with her attitude and work ethic.  She handles working in the busiest labs with a smile on her face.  Once client even requested her back around Christmas as they considered her family and wanted to make sure she was there for the holiday party. We are truly lucky to have Daphne as part of the Aureus Medical team!

Kimberly P., RN (ICU)
Kimberly has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Nursing Division of Aureus Medical Group. Kim has worked for Aureus since 2007 and has completed 10 assignments during that time. She is consistently asked to extend at our facilities, in addition to being asked to return year after year to seasonal hospitals. Some positive comments made on her behalf by Kim’s managers include, “outstanding”, “great to work with”, “very pleasant and helpful”, “great nurse and very dependable”, “great people skills”, and “an asset to your company.” She is a pleasure to work with over the phone and her patients are fortunate to be able to receive her care in person. Kim is the consummate professional and Aureus is proud to have her as part of the Aureus Medical team.

Jennifer D., Physical Therapist
Jennifer has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Rehabilitation Therapy Division of Aureus Medical Group. Jennifer has worked with Aureus for over three years and is on her 6^th consecutive assignment with us. She has been at her current assignment for over a year. She demonstrates dependability, reliability, and flexibility and goes above and beyond in every situation she is presented with. Jennifer has been a standout employee and has set a standard for exceptional patient care. One of her reviews stated, “I have received outstanding feedback from several patients/family members on her clinical skills and rapport with our patients. She has also been requested by name by patients and family members.” Jennifer is a shining example of an outstanding employee and one we are proud to have representing Aureus Medical.

Zella M., Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Zella has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Advanced Practice Division of Aureus Medical Group. Zella is a very experience NP and has worked at her current assignment since December 2010.  This client continually asks for her to extend. Working with a variety of mental health illnesses, she is always friendly and professional with patients and families. Aureus is very thankful for all the hard work and dedication Zella puts into her career.

•  Nursing – East Branch devoted time to help the Salvation Army with Toyland, a program to assist qualified parents in selecting toys for their children for Christmas. The team split into two groups and served as personal shoppers for the parents, helping them pick out the perfect gift for each of their children.

• 

  Serving dinner for the Common Table Outreach Program.

  Nursing – California and Southwest Branches combined forces to provide Christmas dinner and act as hospitality volunteers for families through Common Table on December 19. They provided meals for over 125 people. As hospitality volunteers, they welcomed the guests and spent time talking with them during and after the meal. Common Table is an outreach program that supplies a meal for the impoverished and homeless people of Omaha. 

•  Nursing – Mountain West and Central Branches joined together to sort, box and shelve food for the Food Bank for the Heartland. Each of the 15 people from the two branches donated 2.5 hours of their time. Erin Anderson, Central branch manager, said, “Everyone really enjoyed being able to give back.”
• Various Medical (Nursing & Allied) employees stepped in to help when an email was received about a family in need. Five children had been removed from their mother’s care and placed with their 24-year old aunt. Social services informed the aunt that if she could not find appropriate sleeping arrangements for the kids they would be placed in separate foster homes. Employees started organizing how to get them bunk beds as well as donated toys, clothes, and gift cards for the family. The family wanted to pass along how extremely appreciative of everything they were.

Juli G., Respiratory Therapist
Juli has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Cardiopulmonary Division of Aureus Medical Group. Juli has worked seven assignments with Aureus over two and a half years. She has successfully completed all of her assignments with extremely high marks by all of her employers. She has had multiple perfect scores on her evaluations by client facilities. On her last two assignments, the clients have asked for Juli to stay on full-time. She is a true asset to Aureus Medical.

Heidi D., Cardiac Cath Lab Technologist
Heidi has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Diagnostic Imaging Division of Aureus Medical Group. Heidi started in 2007 and is currently on her 7th assignment for Aureus. This included a one year assignment in California. One client has said, “If I could clone Heidi and have more of her, I would love it”. To each new assignment, Heidi brings with her a vast knowledge and dedication to the cath lab and her patients, always striving to do the very best she can with a smile on her face. She is a model traveler that signifies everything Aureus stands for.

Deb W., Medical Laboratory Technician
Deb has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Medical Laboratory Division of Aureus Medical Group. Deb has completed six assignments for Aureus Medical. She has received outstanding reviews on every one of them. We often get called from our clients a couple days after Deb arrives stating she has been a blessing to the lab department and just what they needed. With her positive attitude and willingness to go the extra mile, her evaluations are always outstanding. We are truly lucky to have Deb as part of the Aureus Medical team!

Christine K., RN (OR)
Chris has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Nursing Division of Aureus Medical Group. Chris has worked for Aureus since 2003 and has worked close to 7000 hours! She has been asked to return by several clients, but is usually booked several months in advance. She truly cares about her job and her patients, going above and beyond with every assignment. We are grateful to have Chris as part of the Aureus Medical team.

Angela B., Occupational Therapist
Angela has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Rehab Therapy division of Aureus Medical Group. Angela has worked with Aureus Medical since March of 2010. She is currently on her 6^th assignment and has been offered to extend multiple times while on assignment. She consistently earns high praise from her onsite supervisors for flexibility, ethics and dependability. She distinguishes herself from other travelers in the field by being extremely flexible when considering assignments and is willing to take on challenges from which others shy away, including difficult-to-staff locations. As an employee Angela is always happy, cheerful and is an overall joy to work with. She represents all the amazing things that Aureus has to offer, and is a phenomenal ambassador for us in the field.

Gerald P., Physician Assistant
Gerry has been awarded the honor of Employee of the Quarter for the Advanced Practice Division of Aureus Medical Group. Gerry has been working with Aureus Medical for over a year.   During this time he’s worked in some very remote settings.  He is always able to find the best in every situation.  At each assignment, the clients have asked him to extend or stay on full-time. He’s even recruited his wife, who is an RN, to come travel with us as well. On Gerry’s latest assignment they have asked him to come back multiple times due to his great patient care and flexibility with his schedule.  Aureus is very thankful for all the hard work and dedication Gerry puts into his work and his patients.

Medical Laboratory Employee of the Year, Norma B.

Norma B., Medical Technologist
Norma began her travels five years ago and has since been in demand and valued wherever she goes.  Her supervisors have said of Norma that she is simply outstanding, is there to help in any situation, and is the kind of employee everyone looks for.  She says working in various sized hospitals and learning new instrumentations keep her career exciting.  And knowing that her work has a direct influence on how a patient is medically treated, her responsibility to the patient always comes first. No matter where her assignments take her, she’s an advocate for her field.  On the job, she participates in health fairs and enthusiastically promotes Medical Laboratory Week to those across the hospital organization.  Norma is a true asset to Aureus and the facilities she works in.  Congratulations, Norma!

Nursing Employee of the Year, Tia R.

Tia R., Surgical Technologist
Tia has been traveling for four years, three of which have been spent in the same facility.  Her supervisors think so highly of her, they continue to extend her contract.  As the connection between physicians, OR staff, and case managers, Tia keeps the OR schedule flowing. Her supervisors at the hospital say she is so beneficial to them, they view her as a seamless, full-time member of their team who sees the big picture, not just the pieces.  Her Account Manager calls her a standout employee who is always kind, energetic, and goes above and beyond in the workplace.  Tia says the challenges and pressures that come with her role keep each day exciting and the rewards are immensely fulfilling.  We feel priveleged to work alongside someone like Tia. Congratulations, Tia!

Rehab Therapy Employee of the Year, Melinda C.

Melinda C., Occupational Therapist
Melinda has been traveling with Aureus for nearly two years.  As an NDT certified Occupational Therapist, helping others is her passion.  Her vast experience and skills are equaled by her patience, kindness, and gentle nature.  She’s a therapist who transforms lives from assignment to assignment and who makes positive contributions to the inner workings of OT departments – providing mentorship and educating teams. One department director called her a “gold mine” and “a great teacher”.  Another commented that she goes above and beyond for her patients, regardless of changes in caseload and hours.  Yet another called her a wonderful addition to their team. Melinda is an amazing example of an Aureus employee.  Congratulations, Melinda!

Diagnostic Imaging Employee of the Year, Kym Z.

Kym Z., Ultrasound Technologist
Kym has been working in the imaging field for over 30 years and has traveled for the past 11 years.  Her supervisors praise her skills, her positive attitude, and how she goes out of her way to get to know her co-workers.  One summed it up by saying, “Kym is absolutely the best.” Kym believes there is always something new she can learn from others, yet she’s generous in sharing her knowledge and years of experience.  After three decades in her field, no day is ever dull and she still finds it fascinating.  She knows that helping people, through her work is what she was meant to do.  We are proud to have Kym represent us on assignments. Congratulations, Kym!

Cardiopulmonary Employee of the Year, Stephanie R.

Stephanie R., Respiratory Therapist
Stephanie has been working in the field of Respiratory Therapy for more than 30 years and has traveled for 8 of them.  Her supervisors remark on her positive outlook, her great personality, and the way she connects with her colleagues.  She steps in, pitches in, and goes the extra mile, always with a smile on her face and a spring in her step.  After three decades in her profession, she says her biggest rewards come from seeing the progress of her patients and the daily strides they make toward recovery.  She knows she’s had a hand in that and it makes it all worthwhile.  We are truly lucky to have Stephanie represent Aureus.  Congratulations, Stephanie!