Today’s UH Health Care Hero spotlight shines on Kristin Petro, who began working at UH Parma Medical Center in 2002 as an ED nurse and was promoted to Emergency Department Manager in 2019 – just ahead of COVID-19’s arising in Northeast Ohio.
Kristin is also being recognized as a Bravo Winner by UH CEO Cliff A. Megerian, MD, FACS, Jane and Henry Meyer Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair, as part of his Cliff Appreciates program.
Kristin’s colleagues describe her as an exceptional manager of the UH Parma ED and say that her leadership and dedication have been instrumental in maintaining high standards of patient care.
In addition to her outstanding management skills, Kristin has a wonderful sense of humor, as well as one of the qualities the best managers have: The ability to stay calm under pressure.
Her leadership has been crucial in maintaining high patient scores while boosting staff morale, and her dedication to her team is evident as she works alongside them, even during weekends and on holidays. Her colleagues say that whenever the department is shorthanded, she steps in to provide direct patient care.
Kristin responded to feedback from the employee engagement survey by creating a weekly G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) award to recognize members of the staff.
So each week, peers vote on who was most deserving of the ED’s award that week, and that person gets the golden goat trophy.
Her staff also appreciates Kristin’s creative approach to huddles. She asks both fun and thoughtful questions to keep the team motivated, even in the face of challenges that are regularly encountered in such a busy department.
“In my opinion, she has one of the toughest jobs at UH Parma Medical Center – it’s high stress, with high volume, and high acuity. We are very fortunate to have her on our team,” says Joe Stefanko, the EMS Coordinator.
Kristin also stands out because of her engagement with community first responders – including EMS, police and fire. For example, she regularly visits community fire departments because she knows that building relationships with outside agencies is vital for effective emergency response; it fosters open communication and collaboration. Her proactive approach ultimately enhances the care of patients and ensures a more coordinated response during emergencies.
For all these efforts, inside and outside of UH Parma, Kristin epitomizes a UH Health Care Hero and for this we say thank you.
Congratulations, Kristin!
#UHProud #caregiverspotlight #emergencymedicine #collaboration #EMS #patientcenteredcare #emergencyresponse
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