Hospital Association Names Two From GRMC 'Hospital Heroes'

January 14, 2010 – Gadsden Regional Medical Center is pleased to have two employees among those named as “Hospital Heroes” by the Alabama Hospital Association.

Cody Davis, a registered nurse in GRMC’s intensive care unit, and Ed Tinker, security assistant, were nominated by the hospital and selected as heroes for Northeast Alabama.

They, along with other heroes selected from other hospitals, were honored Wednesday at the Northeast Council meeting at Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center.

Cody Davis has worked at GRMC only three and one-half years, and earned a reputation for her competence and compassion. Her co-workers say her interactions with patients exude a teamwork mentality and caring nature. They say patients constantly write letters thanking Davis for her care. One patients’ family wrote a letter to The Gadsden Times praising the care she provided for their mother in ICU. They wrote about being touched to see Davis at the funeral home after the patient died.

“I would like to commend you for having someone like Cody on your staff. It’s impossible to mention everyone that helped or cared for my mom, but Cody stands above all,” a family member wrote in a letter to GRMC.

Davis was selected as 2009’s Patient Choice Award winner at GRMC -- an honor given after nominations are requested from the public.

Ed Tinker has worked at GRMC on three separate occasions over the last 20 years. Currently, Tinker is a security assistant and he works primarily in the emergency department. Colleagues say emotions sometimes run high in the emergency room, but Tinker can always be counted on to defuse volatile situations, keeping his composure and reassuring others.

“Ed is always a gentleman, and always a professional. He has a calming personality and has often helped with patients in crisis, reducing their stress and making it easier for medical personnel to give them the help they need,” GRMC CEO Stephen Pennington said.

Members of the ER staff nominated Tinker for Employee of the Month, noting his attention to detail: He picks up trash in the parking lot and repairs signs while making his rounds, and he helps visitors with concerns such as lost cars or dead batteries.

And as the ER staff noted, they always feel safe when he is on the job.

Tinker was selected GRMC’s Employee of the Year for 2009. He was also named Employee of the Year in 1992. Being named top employee, Pennington said, among more than 1,000 employees, is a very high honor.