Tell us about your role as a Maintenance Mechanic.
I began doing building maintenance in our hospital before being assigned to laundry maintenance. For three years, I took care of all the laundry equipment, the heating, air, and electrical, all of that. My work ensured all 20 to 30 of the hospital’s machines operated at full functionality. That was a big undertaking with all the automation involved. After the laundry department closed, I resumed working on building maintenance, though this time my focus is on the hospital’s three offsite buildings.
There’s no typical day here. You do rounds, check in on all the important areas and the nursing staff and supervisors. There’ s a lot of different areas and buildings to take care of, so it’s vital to check in, go through work orders, and see what needs to be done. We do a multitude of repairs; it’s not just changing light bulbs. I do all kinds of heating and air, plumbing, and electrical work.
What path did you take to arrive in your current role?
I’ve been in the maintenance field most of my working career. Medxcel was recommended to me by a buddy here who mentioned it was a good place to work. This is my first role in healthcare, having previously been in manufacturing. You’re dealing with a whole different animal in healthcare, and the work here is a lot more involved than other industries. It’s crucial that you follow procedure and really pay attention to every aspect of the facility to keep patients, visitors, and staff safe. I’ve been at Medxcel for several years now, and I’m happy to be here.
How does your team collaborate with other areas within the hospital?
We collaborate with the safety department as well as the environmental and infection control teams. It’s also important that we work well with the nursing supervisors and staff, housekeeping, and security. Who we need to partner with is dependent on what is needed in a particular situation.
What career development opportunities has Medxcel provided you?
I completed an Institute for Clinical Research Education (ICRE) training several years ago, which helped me better understand facilities management within the healthcare industry specifically. Last year I completed WARE boiler operator training, an intense maintenance class providing advanced training on heating and air. That was particularly helpful since our team has responsibility over several boilers in the hospital.
How does your work impact patient care?
Patients don’t want to be in a hospital, so we do everything we can to make their stay as comfortable as possible. If we receive a repair request from nursing staff, we always try to repair it quickly. They might ask us to tighten something on the wall because it’s rattling, fix a TV that’s not working, or oil a squeaky door. Those things are irritating to a patient who would rather not be there in the first place. We also do patient room inspections frequently to find those annoyances before they need to be reported.
How does Medxcel support your personal well-being?
There’s been a few times where I’ve had to take off work in a family emergency, and my supervisors allow me to leave and come back, using PTO as needed. It really helps in those situations.
How do you feel Medxcel impacts the communities we serve?
Our team has had the opportunity to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity here in Evansville. We’ve also volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House, where parents can stay while their children are in the hospital. A couple years ago, our team helped spruce up the outside sitting area to make it more aesthetically pleasing and comfortable.
Is there something interesting that happened to you on the job that you didn’t expect?
I enjoy the opportunities to help patients and visitors while they’re at the hospital. That’s one of the nice things about walking the halls every day. When I see visitors, I’ll ask if they’re looking for something. I'm happy to take an extra couple minutes and guide them in the right direction, get them upstairs, or direct them down a hallway to an office’s registration desk.
What is one unexpected thing you have learned during your time in this role?
One thing I’ve learned is how healthcare operates differently than you might think. There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes that people don't realize. Our team has required training, as well as processes and procedures to learn. All of this is imperative to working in healthcare, since the care and safety of patients, visitors, and staff is at stake.
What is the best part of your job?
The team that I work with here at Medxcel are an outstanding, nice group of people. We all work well together and if I have a problem, I know I can call and have several people show up. Our supervisor and management team provide direction and guidance, which is good, especially for certain things that are out of our control.