Emily Blackwell, a registered respiratory therapist, has been awarded AdventHealth Murray’s Extra Mile Award.

Emily Blackwell, a registered respiratory therapist, has been awarded AdventHealth Murray’s Extra Mile Award.

This special award was created by members of the hospital’s Employee Engagement Committee to recognize employees who go above and beyond the call of duty on a regular basis. It is awarded monthly to deserving employees selected by the hospital’s directors.

Blackwell was nominated by a coworker who said the following: “Emily is a beautiful person inside and out. She is always cheerful and smiling, and she is an amazing at what she does. Her patients always come first. She always knows what needs to be done and does it. The night shift is very blessed to have her on our team. Emily is very helpful with patients even if it’s not regarding respiratory issues. She answers call lights, cleans rooms and does whatever else she can do to help us when we are in need. She is never asked to do extra things, but she takes it upon herself to help us when needed.

“Emily has done some very humbling things here in the Emergency Department. She has spoken to our patients because she wanted to check on them and ended up praying with the patient and their family. She talks about the Lord and how he can do great things if you believe. She has spoken with several patients about the Lord and helps give them a sense of peace while they are here with us. Some patients just need that one person that cared enough to take the time to pray with them and make them feel like everything can be okay if you just have faith. That is our Emily!”

Another coworker nominated Emily with the following words: “Emily is one of the most competent respiratory therapists I've had the pleasure to work with in my nine years as a nurse. Her presence in the Emergency Department puts nurses and providers at ease. Being reliable in a small hospital is paramount for the best patient care. She goes above and beyond for each patient she comes in contact with by making them not only feel better, but comfortable in a generally uncomfortable situation.

“She is also committed to her coworkers. When she is finished with her duties, she is up and about asking nurses if they need anything. If she can't find anyone who needs anything, she is cleaning dirty rooms so the flow of patients isn't disrupted by cleaning. I could talk all day about how she is a team player and works so hard, but most importantly, she is the embodiment of everything that AdventHealth stands for. On more than one occasion, I've viewed her praying with patients as well as our coworkers. She is selfless when she works and is such an asset to this hospital. We are so lucky to have her!”