A honor for Emily Carmen
Posted 4/27/2012
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Emily Carmen walked into the BIDMC's Kirstein Living Room and clapped her hands over mouth in surprise. Before her stood her colleagues and managers in Linen Services as well as senior leaders from Patient Transport, Support Services and Neonatology to celebrate naming the clean laundry room in the east campus basement in her honor.
"You have given us 43 years of service and that is an incredible achievement," said Bob Cherry, Senior Vice President, Support Services. "Every time we fold a towel or deliver linens, we will think of you."
For more than four decades, Carmen has delivered clean linen to departments, making sure they have the supplies they need to keep patients warm and comfortable. In recognition of her dedicated service, the laundry room in the east campus basement has been named the Emily Carmen Clean Linen Room.
Ralph Fiore, Manager of Linen Services, presented Carmen with an identical plaque to the one that will sit outside the room and said that Carmen was a steady presence in the department, having never called out sick.
"When I came here three years ago, I asked about my staff on the east campus," Fiore said. "They told me, 'Wait until you meet the woman who runs things over there. She knows everything and has it all under control.' Emily, you are irreplaceable."
Nebiye Woldehaimanot, Manager of Patient Transport and a former Linens Manager, recalled Carmen being an excellent teacher to new staff and setting high expectations for her colleagues.
"I managed her, but really she managed me," Woldehaimanot said with a laugh.
DeWayne Pursley, MD, MPH, Chief of Neonatology, said knowing Carmen was always at the ready with fresh linen for the hospital's tiniest patients made his job a little less stressful.
"Emily personalized a way to show her dedication to patient care without actually needing to put a hand on a patient," Pursley said.
Carmen said she tried to maintain a positive attitude each day because "you meet all kinds of people and never know what they are going through." She called her colleagues "her family" and said she had two wishes for them.
"I hope you continue to love me and I hope that whoever takes my place will make sure you continue to get your towels and linens," she said.
CAPTION: Emily Carmen receives a citation from Bob Cherry, Senior Vice President of Support Services marking the naming of the Clean Linen Room in her honor.
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