Hi My name is Sarah Hinson and I’m here with John “Doc” Langley and we are so
excited to welcome to the 2020 Maxim Healthcare Group Caregiver of the Year Virtual Red-Carpet
Event, where we celebrate our caregivers and the extraordinary work they do. Everyday our
caregivers dedicate their time and energy using both their hearts and their training
to take care of our communities and by doing so give their patients hope that there will
be a brighter day and a better tomorrow. Sarah that is so true. Over the past few weeks we
have seen four beautiful stories of amazing care and devotion. We first visited North
Brunswick, New Jersey and saw our North Regional Winner LPN Liz Green and witnessed the beautiful
relationship she has with her patient Anthony. Anthony credits Liz with motivating him to
have a successful college experience, allowing him to go on and have a productive career
in communications and advocacy. We then visited Omaha, Nebraska to visit our South Regional
Winner LPN, Gerayne Yelkin, who has a very special relationship with her patient Josie.
They have been together for an astonishing 28 years, since Josie was just 15 months old.
Next, we were introduced to our West Regional Winner, RN Puja Pandit, in Roseville California.
Although this was her first experience as a pediatric nurse, she made a lasting effect
on her patient’s health. She was even inspired by her patient Haven to further her own education
so she could provide a higher level of care. What an inspiration to us all! And finally,
we met our Staffing Regional Winner, LaCresha Wilkerson, an Occupational Therapist currently
residing in Salinas, CA. LaCresha is helping to improve the lives of so many children in
her community and schools with her over-abundance of passion and care. We are so proud of these
amazing finalists and all of our caregivers and healthcare professionals caring and serving
our communities. We are moved by your inspirational stories, and the heartwarming relationships
you share with your patients. Your dedication, kindness, devotion and passion to help others
is the heart and soul of Maxim. We stand in awe of the incredible work you do and we can’t
thank you all enough. So now it’s time to finally find out who will receive the John “Doc” Langley
Caregiver of the Year Award and be our 2020 National Caregiver of the Year!
The winner was selected from almost 200 submissions and each nomination was read and reviewed by leadership
throughout the company with the intent on selecting which caregiver stands out for embodying
Maxim’s values and demonstrating excellence. Well certainly there are no losers here. But
the votes are in and the winner is. . . drum roll please. . .
Gerayne Yelkin! And now let us hear a few words from our winner, Gerayne Yelkin!
Thank You so much for the honor of being caregiver of the Year for Maxim. It's been an amazing journey.
Maxim is a wonderful company to work for and I want to say thank you to the staff in the
Omaha office. And I want to say thank you to the nurses that I work with, and especially
thank you to Josie my client. Thank you again, it's humbling but it's amazing. Thank you!
Congratulations Gerayne, our new Maxim Healthcare Group Caregiver of the Year! Your story has
touched us all! We are all so happy for you and your patient. And enjoy every moment because
it is hard earned and so well deserved. And thank you again to every one of our winners
and all of our caregivers for all you do. I’ve said in years past that ours is a noble
profession. You nurses, caregivers and healthcare professionals make this world better. You
bring light into a world that might be otherwise shrouded in darkness. For that and all that
you do and all of the sacrifices you make, we give you our heartfelt thanks. Keep fighting
that good fight. Thanks Doc, and thank you everyone, we will see you here next year!