Adventist Health and Rideout Celebrates January 2026 BE Award Recipients

The BE award recognizes associates who exemplify Adventist Health "BE" statements (Be Love, Be a Force for Food, Be a Mission Owner, Be Welcoming, Be Curious, Be Brilliant). All Adventist Health and Rideout associates at the hospital, outpatient clinics and skilled nursing facility are eligible for nomination.

BE Award Recipient: Nicole Bradley
Department: Cancer Center
Submitted by: Elizabeth Hazel
BE Statement: Be a Force for Good

Elizabeth Hazel: “Nicole is one of the fantastic nurses at the Cancer Center who approaches each day giving 100% to the needs of others, whether they're staff or patients. Not only does she work in various roles that the Cancer Center depends on, but she fulfills all job duties in each role with nothing but excellence. She is personable and caring with every patient she interacts with, and is quick to greet them with a big smile and genuine interest in how they are doing and what is going on in their life.

She is a fantastic nurse to her patients, but also a fantastic nurse to work alongside. Nicole is a team player going above and beyond for her fellow nurses, and will step in to help however she can for the MA's and doctors at the Cancer Center as well. She works tirelessly when she is here, and her hard work does not go unnoticed. She is frequently the Charge Nurse, and she excels in the role. When staff come on for their shift and see Nicole is Charge, we all know it's going to be a great day. We know we will be supported and assisted however we need to provide the best patient care.

Not only is she always looking out for the staff, but patient safety is a top priority to her as well. You will often find her talking with doctors to verify or confirm orders and plans of care for patients so there is no room for misunderstanding or possible error, and she is always thinking multiple steps ahead so that everyone can be prepared and on the same page with patient care. When there is a reaction or emergency, she's there to help before you can even ask. She is always pushing the staff to excellence. She also is one of the first to arrange meal sign ups or help with picking up/dropping off kids if a coworker is going through a challenging period and needs people to come around them to help support them during that time.

She is a fantastic nurse, coworker, and friend to us all here at the center, and she makes it look so easy. She really, truly, deeply cares and it is evident to all who know her."

BE Award Recipient: Art Orteza
Department: ICU
Submitted by: Jeanie Chung
BE Statement: Be Welcoming & Be Love

Jeanie Chung: “Everyone on night shift knows Art. He’s the one who always says hello—no matter how busy the night is. He’s the one who stops to talk, who remembers your name, who makes you feel seen. When you’re new to the unit and don’t know a single person, Art somehow makes it feel like you belong. He has a way of making you feel like you’ve known him for years, even if you just met him last week. That is why I am nominating him for the Be Welcoming and Be Love award.

Of all the people I have ever worked with, Art is the most consistently welcoming presence I’ve encountered. He welcomes everyone—even product reps. I’ve watched him dive into 20-minute conversations with people he met 21 minutes ago! For new hires and new graduates on night shift, Art is often the first friendly face, the first laugh, the first reminder to focus on the good. He has been at Rideout for so many years that people from every shift stop to say hello when they see him. As someone who can be socially awkward myself, I know how deeply meaningful it is to have someone like Art on the unit—someone whose kindness leaves a lasting impact long after the shift ends.

Art doesn’t reserve this warmth just for his coworkers. The patients and families he cares for genuinely love him. He has a rare ability to be honest and grounded while still being deeply compassionate. He engages families in conversation, helps them feel included in care, and gently distracts them from the overwhelming flood of medical information. In the same way he does for his coworkers, Art brings laughter, humanity, and light into the lives of patients and families—especially during some of their hardest moments.

Being a patient confined within the walls of a critical care unit can be isolating and emotionally heavy. Nights can feel especially long when there is little to distract from fear, uncertainty, and worry. Art’s presence—his humor, his warmth, his genuine care—can transform that experience. I truly don’t think Art realizes just how much of an impact he has on the people around him.

Awarding Art the Be Welcoming and Be Love award would honor not only his decades of service, but also the profound, lasting difference he makes every single day—for his coworkers, his patients, and their families.

BE Award Recipient: Jonathan Goode
Department: Emergency Department
Submitted by: Anonymous
BE Statement: Be a Force for Good

Anonymous: “I’ve never been a full-time mental health assistant, otherwise known as a “sitter.” But I have sat with patients in 15- to 30-minute spurts to cover lunches and breaks. I imagine it’s the same thing, just stretched out over 12 hours—if so, that job is rough.

Patients are constantly yelling at you, trying to leave, or even worse—they’re asleep, and you have nothing to do but quietly watch them sleep or sit lost in thought. I can picture myself pondering the age-old question…

“Does that clock work?” I could have sworn it was 7:30 a.m. 15 minutes ago.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

“Just four more hours until lunch.”

Tick. Tick. But that’s me—not Jonathan

Jonathan does his job with such vigor and enthusiasm. He greets everyone who walks by with an enormous smile.

On one particular shift, Jonathan was sitting with a patient who “wasn’t acting normal.” The patient was clutching her chest and appeared short of breath. Jonathan could’ve easily ignored it and gone back to clock-watching, but he didn’t. He notified the nurse, who performed an EKG and discovered the patient was having a heart attack. Immediately, the clinical team sprang into action.

But Jonathan played just as much of a role in saving this patient’s life as the ED doctor who ordered the medications, the ED RNs who administered them, and the Cath lab team who placed the stents. In her own words, the patient told the cardiologist, “Thank you—for making me live longer by fixing my heart.”

So, kudos to you, Jonathan, for being a force for good. And sorry to break it to you, all the clocks in the department work perfectly. I checked.

BE Award Recipient: Dr. Rajinder Singh
Department: Electrophysiology
Submitted by: Margarita Treto
BE Statement: Be a Force for Good

Margarita Treto: “Dr. Singh is just an incredible doctor to say the very least. Dr. Singh is brilliant - he is an electrophysiologist who performs watchmans and ablations amongst other procedures to improve heart function in our hospital.

Dr. Singh 's bedside manners describe his "be force for good" at its fullest. He explains procedures to his patients in a form that it is easy for them to understand and very patiently answers their questions. There are occasions when family members are not present at the time of the consult, and he goes above and beyond by contacting family members to once again explain the procedure and answer their questions.

He helps us on the floor with many complex cases even if they are not his patients. For example, today I was having trouble with a patient who urgently needed an MRI, this patient was confused and could answer minimal questions but when Dr. Singh 's name was mentioned she said, "yes, yes it was him" with a big smile on her face. That is the kind of impression that Dr. Singh leaves on his patients with his attentiveness and positive attitude

Dr. Singh happened to call the floor for another patient but when I mentioned the patient he remembered her and happily offered to help me or call MRI himself with the information needed for the patient to get her MRI immediately. When it comes to his patients, he wants a call 24 hours a day 7days a week. His dedication to his patients in incomparable.

He always walks in with a smile and a positive attitude; his vibe radiates immediately creating a beautiful atmosphere. He always takes the time and effort to educate our nurses. For his heart of gold and his incomparable dedication to his patients Dr. Singh is a mission owner. He is brilliant and "Be a force for good" which he demonstrates it every day.

BE Award Recipient: Raj Bassi
Department: Security
Submitted by: Amber Gretsch
BE Statement: Be a Force for Good

Amber Gretsch: “There was a post on a public Facebook site: 'I want to give a shout-out/very sincere thank you to one of the security guards whom works at Rideout Hospital. His name is Raj. I had to go get an MRI done at the hospital yesterday and I was sitting on a curb while waiting for my ride to pick me up. I was in a lot of pain and feeling pretty wobbly (I'm guessing it showed on my face). He came up to me and asked me if I was needing to seek medical attention and asked if I was okay. I explained that I had to get an MRI done while being sedated and that the injections I was given were causing my already bad pain levels to worsen. I also told him I have fibromyalgia and that it was exacerbating everything. He offered to walk me over to the ER, but I assured him I was going to be okay.

That was the very first time any of the guards there had shown me that much compassion; the first time any of them had checked on me. He was very kind! I'm really thankful for him. I went inside and found one of his co-workers and I told him about Raj checking on me and asked if he could give me the security company's (Allied Universal) phone number so that I could make sure Raj was recognized for his kindness. His co-worker gave me a business card and said he would make sure Raj knows how thankful I am. I know this is probably going to sound rather silly, but I was having a rough day and Raj's concern about my well-being certainly helped. Raj if you see this, thank you again."

BE Award Recipient: Dr. Jagraj Nijjar
Department: Infectious Disease
Submitted by: Kulwinder Lally
BE Statement: Be a Force for Good

Kulwinder Lally: “I would like to nominate Dr. Nijjar for the Adventist Health & Rideout Be Award for going above and beyond in service to a patient and our community.

A patient who works locally as a paralegal was admitted under very difficult circumstances. She is a Kaiser patient, and there were significant challenges finding appropriate placement for her discharge, particularly because she was believed to require continued care of a midline for IV antibiotic infusions. Multiple barriers delayed her safe transition, and options were extremely limited.

Although this was not Dr. Nijjar’s assigned patient, I reached out to him for help. Without hesitation, he stepped in. He personally reviewed the patient’s chart, reassessed her treatment plan, and worked directly with hospice and the care team. Through his clinical judgment and advocacy, he was able to safely transition her to PO (oral) antibiotics, completely eliminating the need for a midline and IV therapy.

Because of this change, the patient was able to be discharged safely before Thanksgiving Day, which made an extraordinary difference for her and her family. She was the happiest patient after that, truly grateful for the care and compassion she received. This outcome also positively impacted public perception in our community, as she is well known locally and connected through public media.

Dr. Nijjar stepped up without obligation, driven purely by compassion, responsibility, and service. His actions reflect the very best of Adventist Health’s values:

• Be a Force for Good
• Be Trustworthy
• Be a Mission Owner
• Be Loving and Welcoming

Because of his dedication, this patient transitioned safely, with dignity, and with renewed trust in healthcare. Dr. Nijjar is deeply deserving of this recognition."