Caregivers of the Month for October and November
Madelia, Minn. – The winner of the Caregiver of the month in October at Madelia Health was Eric Buck. Eric has worked at Madelia Health since April, 2020 as a Network Administrator in the Information Technology Department. He was nominated by his coworkers in the Laboratory.
They stated, “Even though IT has been busy fixing all the print servers, you still take time for our phone calls and problems. It is appreciated!”
Eric has an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Network Administration, and a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree in Computer Information Technology. He and his wife, Melody, have two cats, Tyr and Orion. Eric grew up in the Mankato/North Mankato area with his parents, Larry and Judy Buck. He also has a brother, Nathan, a sister, Jenny, and a niece, Jaedyn. His hobbies include deep woods camping and rebuilding his 77 Caprice Classic or 78 Dodge Power Wagon when the weather is nice. During the winter he plays a lot of video games.
When asked what he liked the most about working at Madelia Health, Eric said, “The people at Madelia Health make for a great working environment. Working in IT, you don’t always see the best side of people when they are having computer problems, but I have never had a bad experience when helping Madelia Health employees. I also like that Madelia is close to my home in Vernon Center.”
The winner of the Caregiver of the month in November was Don Smith. Don has been working at Madelia Health in the Maintenance Department since September, 2020. He was nominated by the Dietary and EVS Director, Jessica Holm.
Jessica stated, “Don is always helping our EVS personnel when we are short staffed. He is truly one of a kind! Thank you, Don!”
Don grew up in Madelia and is a Madelia High School graduate. He is very active in the community. Don’s family includes his wife, Megan, sons Judson and Russell, daughters Anna and Elie, and granddaughter, Lainie. His favorite past time is golfing, camping, driving his “old” truck, and spending time with his family and friends.
When asked what he likes the most about working at Madelia Health, Don stated, “I like the friendly staff and feeling appreciated every day.”
Madelia Health staff members are encouraged to recognize their co-workers with SHOUT-OUTS for doing exemplary work, going above and beyond for our patients and coworkers, or just being a positive person to work with. All nominees receive a treat in recognition of their SHOUT-OUT. At the end of each month the names of the SHOUT-OUT recipients are put in a drawing for the Caregiver of the Month. The winner receives a gift card plus the honor of parking in the Caregiver of the Month parking spot. At the end of the year, the caregiver who has the most SHOUT-OUTS will be the Employee of the Year for Madelia Health.
