At Alameda Health System (AHS) our employees are our greatest asset. Our STARs (Service Team Award Recipients) are employees recognized for going above and beyond the standards of behavior with outstanding performance based on contributions to the AHS vision, mission and values. These individuals demonstrate professionalism and enthusiasm in their day-to-day duties. They are an inspiration to their peers, patients, and community. Finally, these individuals have demonstrated an unwavering willingness to help others within their department and the organization.
Christopher Luque
AHD Sr Physical Therapist
Alameda Hospital Awardee
Chris been the backbone of our department. He consistently goes above and beyond including doing an amazing job with organizing continual education for each and every staff member. He is truly making a difference for our staff, and in the lives of every patient in physical therapy.
Zonglin Tang
Certified Ophthalmic Assistant
Ambulatory Awardee
Zonglin or “Zee” as we call him in the clinic, is the model for a hardworking, adaptable and motivated employee. Zee goes above and beyond by always being available to help, accountable when called upon and having a cheerful team-oriented attitude. He impresses me with his knowledge of ophthalmology, and I can tell that he pushes himself to learn more about the eye during his off time. He can always be seen moving around the eye clinic, working diligently to help improve the flow of the clinic. I can always count on Zee and he is an invaluable member of our team.
Nahid Nevin
Supervisor II, Patient Services
Ambulatory Awardee
Nahid is consistently going above and beyond to support the PSR team she manages. She’s very flexible in providing coverage for other PSS members and managers whenever the need arises. She always has a positive attitude and is extremely patient and understanding of our patients’ needs and concerns regarding insurance and translation services. She handles all challenging situations with grace and professionalism.
Saundra Mercado
Care Mgmt Community Health Worker
Highland Hospital
As a community health outreach worker on the High Utilizer Team, Saundra goes above and beyond every day. Our team works with patients with severe mental illness, long-standing substance use disorders, homelessness and severe medical conditions. These conditions can be overwhelming for us as caregivers, but Saundra meets each person with respect and curiosity and sees the light in each person and uses creativity and kindness as her tools. Her heart just seems to get bigger with each year of doing this complex work. Saundra is brave about sharing ideas and suggestions and helps find solutions in support of our patients. She also brings sunshine to the office and clinics and we are all lucky to work with her.
Raul Castro
Restorative Nursing Assistant
Post Acute
Raul makes a positive impact on the health and well-being of our Fairmont residents, especially for those who complete treatment and need to step down to RNA. We have had many successful discharges thanks to Raul. Residents trust Raul because of his professionalism, caring attitude and ability to communicate effectively. Department leaders seek Raul support if having residents non-compliant issues and he gladly helps out to achieve positive outcomes. In addition, he is a member of Fairmont Safety Committee and has made many recommendations so residents and staff are safe and well. Fairmont admits residents with behavior issues or has current residents with challenging behaviors. Raul is able to establish good rapport and support the nursing team to deliver care.
Mark Melendres
SLH RNII
San Leandro Hospital
Mark is an amazing co-worker, nurse and charge nurse. He has a great attitude and radiates positive energy and team spirit. He is a great asset to San Leandro Hospital. His calm, collective nature always helps in any problem solving situation and he resolves disagreements in peaceful and collaborative manner. He is a hard worker and is always available to help out his peers whenever necessary. He is a great person to nominate for a STAR award.
Nataliya Zelenska
Sr Analyst Payroll System Processing
System Service Support
Nataliya Zelenska is an exceptional Team Player! Her attitude, her willingness to collaborate, her focus on “internal” customer service is a breath of fresh air. She provides comfort with matters which are extremely important to our staff including payroll, PTO and timekeeping, all things that are critical to the mental well-being of our employees. As a result, they can focus on providing care, rather than the logistics of time keeping and pay. She is extremely responsive and always seeks to help rather than hand you off to a peer or another department. Irrespective of the issue, Nataliya will help you find your answers. She is inspiring and sets the bar high for all support staff. I couldn’t be more pleased to partner with such an amazing team member.
Kai Zhang
Interpreter Services Dispatcher
System Service Support
Kai is a very reliable co-worker who always arrives at the office with a smile and a patient-centered positive attitude. To minimize the wait for doctors and nurses who call the dispatch desk requesting a rare language interpreter, she monitors Epic in advance, pre-schedules the interpreter and then messages the confirmation to the provider. In addition, with her outstanding knowledge of computer tools, Kai is always willing to assist a co-worker with Epic, Finesse and MAA questions. She always has resourceful ideas to upgrade the interpreter dispatching functions and will go above and beyond to meet the needs of our patients and providers.