News Story Detail

In the bustling warehouse next to the Annex on the NorthBay Medical Center Campus, the Supply Chain team gathered May 23 for an unexpected surprise: Some sunshine for the outstanding job they’ve been doing for the past two-plus years.

“During the pandemic, you’ve had to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, nationwide shortages, cost spikes and more, but still you’ve managed to deliver what we needed the most, when we needed it most, to keep our operation hitting on all cylinders,” Marc Higgins, assistant vice president of Supply Chain, read from a letter delivered and distributed to the team.

He continued, ticking off a list:

• “You somehow were able to ensure that Personal Protective Equipment was available 24/7, even during materials shortages and staffing shortages.
• “You collaborated with your colleagues in data management, purchasing and distribution to meet the requirements of some tough new laws (AB 2537 and SB 275) while building our stockpile of essential equipment during the pandemic.
• “As a team, you managed to build more than 75 new standard work documents, to ensure that processes are properly documented and communicated.
• “Together, you processed more than 350,000 individual supply chain transactions in 2021 to support patient care at both NorthBay Medical Center and NorthBay VacaValley Hospital.
• “As a team, you built, tested and implemented our new Oracle Supply Chain module. The successful implementation of the project is a testament to your motto: “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.”

At the mention of their motto, a small cheer went up from the group.

“Sure, those five and about 5,000 more,” he proudly told his team. “Since my kids have grown up you folks really are my family, my sunshine,” he said.     

Supply Chain was the fourth department to receive the “Secret Ray of Sunshine” Award, since the first presentation occurred April 8 for Unit 1800. Since then, Central Sterile, and the NorthBay Center for Primary Care in Vacaville teams also earned the award.

Delivered by the Public Relations team, the award came courtesy of a secret group of employees at NorthBay Healthcare “who wish to remain anonymous.” It included thank you notes hand-addressed to each employee, a pin, a copy of the letter and a sweet treat.

“Our gift is meager but the appreciation is enormous and genuine!” the note said. “Your NorthBay family should know about your steadfast dedication, so we can pay our respect to the incredible work you are doing each and every day.”

“It feels good,” said Daniel Ordona, Supply Chain technician. “We must be doing something right.”

Supply Chain Manager Sebastian Head agreed.

“It’s wonderful to be acknowledged by NorthBay — we’re not exactly sure who — but it’s great to be appreciated for what can sometimes be a thankless job. We take great pride in delivering what our teams need as soon as we can, and we’re successful because we care.”

Jennifer Viramontes, purchasing and capital equipment manager, said it was nice to hear the words of appreciation. “It always feels good to be recognized for all our hard work we do,” she said. “We have a really great team here. We all put all our effort into making sure we have everything we need for our patients. So a little sunshine goes a long way.”