Adventist Health and Rideout Celebrates Spring 2025 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: Robin Cary
Department: Med Staff
Submitted by: Scott Conlee
BE Statement: Be a Force for Good

Scott Conlee: “In late October, I had reached out to Robin to see how quickly we could get a couple of radiologists credentialed that were currently working for Adventist Health in Portland, Oregon. My reason was that we only had one radiologist that was able to read for our site and he was going to be taking some vacation. During this time, we would not be able to provide this service to our community. Robin understood the situation and she was able to provide me with some deadlines to make it possible to get them credentialed prior to the next vacation. Things were in full swing. I had put her in contact with the Portland's Radiologist group in Portland's office manager and documents started moving. Between the three of us, all information was going smoothly. We finalized the credentialing about a week to 10 days prior to them reading our first few studies. This allowed us to serve 24-30 patients that we would have had to reschedule. I was grateful that Robin understood my challenge and quickly identified how we could credential these providers correctly and appropriately allowing for a seamless transition. She maintained the communication with me and the Portland group. This kept us on track. Robin was a force for good behind the scenes. Without her and her teams work several patients would have had to delay their studies. This is not something that we wanted to happen.”

BE Award Recipient: Nai Saefon
Department: Podiatry Clinic
Submitted by: Amy Osborn
BE Statement: Be Brilliant

Amy Osborn: ““I have had the pleasure of working with Nai in multiple clinics over the course of five years. No matter the assignment, Nai has always excelled in her role as a Medical Assistant. She exhibits a natural curiosity and ability to absorb knowledge. This allows her to always shine in her position(s). Nai is regularly recognized by patients, coworkers, providers, and leadership as being an integral member of the team. We are always assured if Nai says she will take care of it, she will. Her follow through in all aspects of patient care contributes to a team dynamic that produces an excellent patient experience. We even occasionally have providers “fighting” over who gets to work with Nai. Luckily, she is as committed to our Podiatry Clinic as we are committed to her. She does all of this AND is attending school, working on her goal of becoming a nurse. We look forward to celebrating and honoring Nai the day she receives her Registered Nursing Degree. Nothing will stop her from achieving her goals.”

BE Award Recipient: Shawn Scott
Department: Float Pool
Submitted by: Jenny Phan, Paja Thao, Andrew Banh
BE Statement: Be a Force for Good

“It has been our pleasure to work with Shawn not only as a charge nurse but also as floor nurses. He not only monitors the patients but also helps the nurses and CNAs with tasks within his scope of practice. He is able to communicate with the nurse when the patient condition changes and is able to critically think as well as remain calm in all sorts of situations. For instance, a patient's behavior continued to escalate one night, and Shawn was able to communicate with the nurse that she needed to come and assess the patient right away. When the patient became combative, Shawn selflessly stood up and helped the team in any way he could. He is a team player and strives to keep everyone safe in all kinds of situations. Not only that but Shawn is a force for good as he is courageous and takes action when needed by his team.”

BE Award Recipient: Dr. Mark Sawyer
Department: Family Health Clinic
Submitted by: Juliana Esparza
BE Statement: Be Love

Juliana Esparza: “I want to nominate Dr. Sawyer for his love and compassion for the little humans he cares for throughout the days. He has shown much love for what he does and goes above and beyond for our kids. What really caught my attention was when he went an extra step to set an alarm for himself after hours to look for labs, he had ordered on a patient he was treating in office and did not depend on him being called with results or possibly even the on-call doctor. This action saved a child's life because the labs turned out to be very critical. I also see how he communicates with our kids and make them feel as safe and loved as possible when they are in our office. Thank you, Dr Sawyer, for being who you are and loving and caring for our children.”

BE Award Recipient: Robin Winther
Department: Clinics
Submitted by: Kayla Tapia
BE Statement: Be a Mission Owner

Kayla Tapia: ““For many of us outpatient clinics balancing home life and work is a huge thing. Having a great manager that takes the time to learn about your employees from their home life, their families, and many of us that are dealing with medical issues of our own takes an amazing leader, and someone who shows compassion and love. I believe Robin has shown us to Be a Mission Owner, as she herself was once a phlebotomist and climb the ladders to managing 4 different clinics. Before she was a manager, she was one of us, so she takes the time to understand us and fight for us to have equal hours and say at the table.

She not only looks at us as an employee but us as humans she understands when there is hardship in our lives and sits and listens and accommodates when needed. It takes compassion and the ability understand to Be a Mission Owner, she has shown to go above and beyond to care.

To give the best care to our patients it's important to have someone to motivate the employees in the clinic to push to be greater, Robin has continued to push us to believe and have hope. To know that we are heard, helps us to be excited to come to work and to see new beginnings and improvements in the near future.

We would not trade Robin for the world, I hope she continues to empower many different clinics and continues to fight for us to be heard.”

BE Award Recipient: Reyna Cardenas Maldonado
Department: Home Health
Submitted by: Nicole White
BE Statement: Be Brilliant

Nicole White: “Reyna goes above and beyond as a home health aide for our hospice patients. She is gentle and loving, and all her patients love her. Recently, she used her knowledge and skills as a beautician to provide a hospice patient with specialized haircare to make the patient feel beautiful and refreshed on her birthday. We also have another patient who was previously homeless and whose hair is matted, and Reyna took extra time to wash and detangle this patient's hair. She regularly takes extra time to run loads of laundry, provide company for lonely patients, and serve them in whatever way she can. Our hospice team would not be the same without her! Everyone who works with Reyna knows that the difference she makes in our patients' lives during a difficult time is profound.”

BE Award Recipient: Brittany Toche
Department: Respiratory Therapy
Submitted by: Pam Basra and Denise Fields
BE Statement: Be Love

“We would like to nominate respiratory therapist Brittany for the Be Award "Be Love" statement. Brittany truly embodied the spirit of Rideout by opening her heart and demonstrating extraordinary compassion during a critical moment.

On March 26, a 6-month-old baby was rushed to the ER as a Code 3 after aspirating. Chest compressions were in progress, and the team worked tirelessly to revive the infant. It was an incredibly high-stress situation. The mother had to leave the ED to care for their other two children, leaving the father at the bedside during the code.

After 25–30 minutes of CPR, the baby regained a pulse and was placed on a ventilator. The father was visibly overwhelmed, stressed, sharing that although he knew CPR, he had frozen in the moment, relying on a neighbor to step in. Seeing his distress, Brittany immediately shifted her focus to him.

Brittany isn’t typically someone who expresses emotions outwardly, but in that moment, she recognized what the father needed most—support. She asked if there was anything she could do for him, and when he said no, she simply asked, “Do you need a hug?” When he said yes, she embraced him and didn’t let go until he was ready. She reassured him that he had done his best and that his baby was in the hands of an amazing team. It was a deeply moving moment—one that brought many of us to tears.

Recognizing that he hadn’t eaten, Brittany took it upon herself to bring him a sandwich and something to drink. When he finally left, it was clear he felt calmer and deeply grateful for the incredible care his baby had received.

Brittany’s compassion, empathy, and ability to connect in such a high-stress situation are the very essence of what the BE LOVE statement represents, and she is truly deserving of this recognition."

BE Award Recipient: Christine Coker
Department: 3 East
Submitted by: Brenda Pegany
BE Statement: Be a Force for Good

Brenda Pegany: “Christine demonstrates the true meaning of being a force for good, always advocating for her patients and ensuring they receive the highest level of care. She believes that every patient deserves compassionate and comprehensive support, especially during their most vulnerable moments. Her dedication was evident when she encountered a new mother on the unit who was struggling to be discharged due to insurance complications and medication follow up issues. Understanding the emotional and physical toll this was taking on her patient, Christine took it upon herself to find a solution. She knew that being separated from her newborn could negatively impact both the mother and baby, so she made it her mission to resolve the obstacles preventing her from going home.

Without hesitation, Christine began calling multiple clinics, reaching out to doctors, case managers, and other members of the healthcare team to find an answer. She attempted to navigate through insurance policies, secured necessary referrals, and communicated with the doctor and case manager to assist in the patient’s discharge. Her persistence and unwavering commitment paid off—she was able to arrange everything so the patient could safely return home to her newborn. The gratitude in the mother’s eyes when she finally left the hospital was a powerful reminder of why Christine chose this profession. She doesn’t just care for patients; she fights for them, ensuring they receive the support they need during life’s most critical moments.”

BE Award Recipient: Dr. Andrew Bellino
Department: Emergency Department
Submitted by: Sarah Sharp
BE Statement: Be a Force for Good

“As Adventist Health and Rideout started on our journey to become a high-reliable organization, it quickly became clear that we couldn’t achieve this goal without the collaboration of our physicians. Dr. Bellino has taken on the role of HRO physician expert, leading the way for our physicians to focus on patient safety. He volunteered to become a validated instructor of the HRO tools and has conducted numerous sessions, teaching the HRO Universal Skills to physicians across the organization.

We are frequently asked during associate universal skills training whether physicians will be trained as well, and thanks to Dr. Bellino’s leadership and commitment, we can proudly answer, “YES!” We are all dedicated to reaching our goal of Zero Harm at Rideout, and we couldn’t have come this far without Dr. Bellino’s invaluable support and his innate ability to drive positive change. Thank you Dr. Bellino!”

BE Award Recipient: Laura Lopez-Rayon
Department: Courtyards
Submitted by: Jamie Scott
BE Statement: Be a Mission Owner

Jamie Scott: “Laura is our go to person for ALL things at The Courtyard as her longevity with the company helps her to know all the things. This morning, she received a handwritten letter from a resident that I feel captures the true essence of Laura's talents and abilities and showcases how she consistently embodies being a mission owner all the time."

This nomination was written by a resident at The Courtyard:

"Dear Laura, you are proficient in so many areas. I appreciate your broad knowledge and common sense. You know how to solve any problem. Often, I turn to you for help. Thank you for making appointments for me. Thank you for counts my pills to verify my Rx amount. Thank you for fixing my "dumb" cell phone. Thank you for opening my child proof/ adult proof hearing aid batteries. I fear I have become a pest recently. I would not blame you if you started hiding under your desk when you see me coming. You are a lifesaver. Thank you for your time, talents, patience and kindness." Sincerely Ethel Breyfogle.