Memorial Announces 2024 STAR Award Recipients

Memorial’s highest honor. STAR stands for Service, Teamwork, Attitude, and Respect, recognizing outstanding customer service.

The following team members were honored for this achievement:

• Vanessa Carantes, Multi-Skilled Technician I, Medical/Surgical
• Theresa Cuevas, Nurse Practitioner Navigator, Employee Health Center
• Charles Hill, Team Lead, Pre-Access, Centralized Scheduling
• Kimber Johnston, Manager of Applications, I/S Revenue Cycle Applications
• Leila Rainey, Outpatient Business Office Representative, Medical Oncology Physicians
• Troy White, Multi-Skilled Technician II, Cardiac Cath Lab

Vanessa Carantes joined the Memorial team in 2022 and embodies service above self. She boosts the morale of the nurses and the entire floor through her positive attitude, reliability, diligence, and getting the job done. With Vanessa’s traits and abilities, the nurses can adequately care for patients who need interventions. 

Theresa Cuevas has been a dedicated team member since 2015. Theresa impacts patients and employees through her passion for service, wellness, and empathy, and by being an active listener. She collaborates with other providers and specialties to provide optimum care for her patients. Theresa embodies excellence and STAR qualities every day.

Charles Hill is an exemplary leader and a remarkable team player known for his compassion and empathetic approach towards patients. He is known for first-class customer service, teamwork that inspires and strengthens his teams’ processes, as well as coaching and mentoring his team. He has been part of the Memorial team since 2021.

Kimber Johnston has been part of the Memorial team for more than 20 years, consistently going the extra mile to ensure customer and colleague satisfaction. Kimber ensures every day that through her leadership and team building skills, she fosters a collaborative and supportive work environment. Her commitment to our organization and STAR quality service is evident with every interaction.  

Leila Rainey has been a dedicated Memorial team member since 2022. Leila impacts oncology patients’ lives with her uplifting attitude and her genuine compassion. She offers exceptional customer service including words of encouragement that lift each patient’s spirit. She delivers an excellent patient experience to each oncology patient she serves. 

Troy White’s STAR qualities were recognized by a patient who wrote a letter to Memorial regarding the care, gentleness, and compassion he delivered while they were in the Cath Lab. One quote states, “Troy is everything a patient/employee interaction should be. He is an asset to Memorial Hospital.” Within our organization, Troy delivers above-and-beyond service to his patients. He joined the Memorial team in 2017.

“We are proud to honor these exceptional team members who embody our values every day,” said Memorial Health System President & CEO Kent Nicaud. “Each STAR recipient was nominated based on the qualities they exemplify to their teammates, our patients, and our community.”