Published: July 06, 2008 05:06 pm            

Six employees celebrate their decades of service

Harris Methodist Walls Regional Hospital employees say the close-knit ties between community and hospital have kept them coming back for decades of work at the hospital.

Six HMWR employees were honored recently at a banquet hosted by Texas Health Resources, the parent company for Walls, to recognize employees with decades of service to the community.

“What I enjoy most are the people that I meet and talk to everyday, the patients and their family members, employees and our volunteers, they all have such fabulous stories,” said Barbara Conley, assistant to hospital President Blake Kretz. “We are all a team, and we love what we do.”

Conley is a good example of an employee who has worked her way up in the past two decades working at the hospital, starting as a unit secretary.

“Our employees make all the difference creating an environment where every patient’s needs are met and exceeded,” Kretz said. “It is through their contributions that we’re able to serve the residents of Cleburne and the surrounding areas.”

Many employees predate Harris Methodist Walls Regional’s affiliation with Texas Health Resources.

Ruby Irvin has worked in the radiology department for 35 years, moving to part-time status last year so she could help her husband run his business.

“We have a very good facility out in Cleburne, and I’m really glad to have been associated with it all these years, or I would have gone somewhere else,” she said.

Wynona Beucler, R.N., has worked for the hospital for 30 years in a variety of roles. She is supervisor of nursing. She said she loves everything about working in the intensive care unit, especially as more specialists work with the hospital and broaden the scope of care.

“We’ve got a great hospital,” she said. “It is growing every day.”

Ira Pearl Makeba, R.N., has worked in the hospital for 25 years. She spent three years in the medical-surgical area but has spent the remainder in surgical recovery.

“This is a great place to work,” Makeba said.

Ronda Dillard, an employee and occupational health nurse, previously worked in the intensive care unit and emergency room. She’s been with the hospital for 20 years.

Dillard said she appreciates the family atmosphere at the hospital.

“People care here,” she said. Employees are quick to step in and lend a hand when family emergencies arise, and “that’s worth something to know that you have that kind of care.”

Pamela Robinson also celebrated 20 years working at the hospital in her role as the senior accounting assistant.

“Everyone here knows everybody, and they’re very friendly,” Robinson said. “They’ve just been really good to me.”

Texas Health Resources honored 400 employees with 20 or more years of service and two dozen volunteers, totaling 10,485 years, at the banquet.

        

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