Some say she is not a, “sit-at-your-desk manager.” She is out
working with the staff, learning what works and what does not, and truly
listening to what staff/patients/residents have to say.
Who is she? Lisa Miller, CDM, CFPP. And we now call her a Legend at CCH.
For those who don't know, CCH defines a Legend as, "those people
who have left an indelible impression on our minds because of their deeds
and actions. Ongoing demonstration of hard work, compassion, and a reputation
for greatness make someone a legend."
Lisa began in
Nutrition Services as an on-call Nutrition Tech in 1997, and has served many roles—from
Coordinator, Supervisor, Interim Manager and now Nutrition Services Manager.
Each person who spoke about Lisa mentioned that she has worked in every
position in Nutrition Services—from washing dishes to cooking to
putting freight away.
“This gives Lisa a unique perspective of the importance of each job
in her department and how service can positively or negatively impact
the customer’s experience,” says Karen Clarke, Director of
CCH Community Relations, who has known Lisa for 20 years. “Her understanding
of the job duties and tasks help her manage her team because she been
where they are.”
Lisa arrived in Gillette via Larchwood, Iowa when her husband, Kevin, was
hired at Davis Chevrolet (now
White’s Frontier Motors) in 1997, and haven’t regretted the decision.
In the nomination form, Karen C wrote: “Lisa has worked very hard
to develop her management skills. She models the importance of continuing
education to her staff, achieving Dietary Manager certification (from the
University of North Dakota) and encouraging others to learn and grow.”
Lisa has worked at CCH for more than 20 years, and has worked in health
care for more than 33 years. However, her interest in nutrition began
as a child watching her grandmother cook at a school cafeteria. “She
took me to work with her in the morning, and I spent a lot of time with
her, and the other cooks as they made food for school that day,”
she said. “Man could she cook. Brownies—from scratch—were
her specialty.”
Currently, Lisa manages the day-to-day food production flow and operations for
Campbell County Memorial Hospital and
The Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center, including the
Coffee Shoppe and Bistro and any other food service needs across the organization. She
manages the food production in the
cafeteria, has to know about all of the different diets for clinic areas, makes
sure her employees are safe at work, makes sure the food served at CCH
is being cooked and served properly, and so much more.
Another CCH Legend,
Noamie Niemitalo, MS, BSW, SHRM-SCP, CCH Vice President of Human Resources, says Lisa always
wants to do the right thing. “She is willing to ask lots of questions
and look at different ways of doing things, so that it is done in the
correct manner. Lisa believes in CCH and wants the people who work within
her department to do their best every day to reflect on the great work
that happens within this organization,” she says.
Lisa’s Director,
Steven Crichton, CCH Vice President of Facilities and Plant Operations, has worked with
her for more than two years, and says that he enjoys working with Lisa,
exploring new and creative solutions with her, and always find her willing
to consider the possibilities that may lie in doing something differently
in Nutrition Services.
“Lisa embodies the standards and values of CCH, and lives them out
to the best of her ability daily. She does this while always being open
to coaching, input from others, and delegating responsibility to others
who have important roles to play as part of a team delivering nutrition
services at multiple locations every day,” says Steve.
Ask the staff in Nutrition Services, and they’ll tell you that Lisa
gives them the opportunity to do what they're best at, and listens
to their concerns and ideas. She looks for ways to accommodate the requests
of other departments to help them improve their service and is quick to
acknowledge what she doesn't know as a learning experience.
As you can see, Lisa consistently looks for ways for staff in Nutrition
Services to become more efficient while working to maintain quality. “I
have rarely seen anyone so willing to make changes and accept the input
from others so readily,” says Steve.
Many Nutrition Services staff commented that Lisa treats them with fairness
and consistency. Lisa is currently working to integrate the employees
at CCMH and The Legacy into a more cohesive group. This effort includes
cross-training employees to work at both locations, and organized a combination
staff picnic last summer to encourage socialization and camaraderie. Several
staff also mentioned that they see Lisa as a mentor and role model, as
well as someone they can go to with issues or problems.
“Lisa is willing to listen, to try new options, and to simply do
the best she knows how to make the Nutrition Department and Campbell County
Health the best it can be,” says Legend
Karen L. Polson, RD, LDN, CCH Clinical Nutrition Supervisor, who has worked with Lisa
for more than 20 years. She says her friend and colleague is very deserving
of the Legend Award.
Karen P calls Lisa someone who is never too busy to help someone out, saying
that she is often the first person who will step forward to help, whether
it be providing directions, answering a question, helping a staff member
struggling with their job duties, providing personal financial assistance,
and much more. “She would literally give the shirt off her back
to someone that needed it more,” says Karen P.
It’s clear that Lisa gives a lot of herself at work, but she’s
also given back to our community—volunteering for the
Campbell County Healthcare Foundation's
Festival of Trees event, as well as helping her children’s sports teams when they
were in school.
Lisa says that she believes strongly in our Excellence Every Day goal,
and works hard to treat other as they want to be treated. As many have
described, her leadership approach is to lead by example. She’s
also no stranger to awards—earning the CCMH Employee of the Year
in 1999 and the Wyoming Dietary Manager of the Year award in 2001.
When asked what the Legend Award means to her, Lisa said that it was quite
the honor. “I was shocked; especially to be recognized with all
of the other Legends,” she said. “It’s nice to know
that my peers think so well of me.”
But, she doesn’t take all of the credit for earning this recognition.
“My directors and other leaders at CCH encourage me to try, anything.
And, if I fail, they help me get back up to try something again,”
she says. Lisa also mentions that her job wouldn’t be as great without
her team. “Their commitment to taking care of our patients and residents,
as well as their dedication to providing excellence every day makes coming
to work a lot easier. I’m so proud to work with everyone.”
Lisa is very family-oriented and spends a great deal of time with her grandchildren—Adry,
5; Madison, 4; and Samson, 1; who are her daughter Rebecca’s children.
Her son, Christopher has one on the way, as well. Her daughter owns a
home-based business, and Lisa assists her with that endeavor whenever
possible. What she loves most is getting together with her family and
cooking. “I want to be like my grandmother and share the knowledge
with my family,” she says. They also spend a lot of time camping,
fishing and riding ATVs as a family.
Lisa, you go above and beyond daily here at CCH. You stand for what is
the right thing to do and set bar high for the rest of our staff. We are
proud to have you on our team.
Congratulations.