Left: Mike Comer (L), CEO of Wound Care Advantage (WCA), presents the Daniel Thomas Recognition to Thurman Spicer, HBO technician at Placentia-Linda Hospital. Right: Christina Le (L), WCA Chief Nursing Officer and Shakeh Akopian (R), Regional Director of Operations, present to Hawkeye Brimbuela, RN Manager at the UCLA Center for Wound Healing and Limb Preservation.
The Daniel Thomas Recognition acknowledges extraordinary acts of kindness toward patients
SIERRA MADRE, Calif. – A new peer-nominated recognition program established by Wound Care Advantage (WCA) honors employees who demonstrate exceptional acts of bravery, kindness and compassion in the wound care clinic. The Daniel Thomas Recognition was established by CEO Mike Comer, who founded WCA 16 years ago based on Six Rules, the first being a strong commitment to patient care. Named in honor of his father, the award celebrates team members in WCA-partnered hospitals who go above and beyond, display moments of courage, and who are diligent in serving their communities with patient-focused practices.
The first recipients of the Daniel Thomas Recognition are Thurman Spicer and Hawkeye Brimbuela. Spicer, an HBO technician at the Center for Wound Care at Placentia-Linda Hospital in Placentia, Calif., noticed a wound clinic patient waiting for transportation service after hours. Instead of leaving her, he sat outside with the patient for three hours to make sure she was safe until her ride arrived. Brimbuela, an RN Manager at UCLA Center for Wound Healing and Limb Preservation in Los Angeles, Calif., was working with a patient when he was alerted that someone in the waiting room was unresponsive. He rushed to see what was happening and noticed the patient experiencing what seemed to be cardiac arrest. Brimbuela immediately administered CPR and was able to bring the patient inside the clinic and call for an ambulance. The act likely saved the patient’s life.
“The Daniel Thomas Recognition was designed to acknowledge employees who demonstrate phenomenal patient care, and our first recipients set an excellent example,” said Mike Comer, CEO of Wound Care Advantage. “We’re very fortunate to have these two amazing people working with us and helping our patients every day.”
Christina Le, WCA Chief Nursing Officer, said that Brimbuela and Spicer are perfect inaugural recipients, and she hopes that others are inspired by them.
“Hawkeye Brimbuela is highly skilled and compassionate, and he’s quick to respond to a patient or colleague in a time of need," said Le. "Thurman Spicer is one of the most knowledgeable, compassionate and caring members of our hyperbaric tech team. They both deserve recognition for their dedicated, patient-focused approach to wound care.”
Sierra Madre, Calif.
