printable versionAt annual staff dinner, dean presents two stellar employees with Spirit Award
BY MITZI BAKER
Dean Philip Pizzo (center) congratulates Homer Abaya and Nancy Winningham for outstanding contributions to the medical school at the Nov. 9 staff recognition dinner. The two were winners of the 2006 Spirit Award.
Recognition of what is often taken for granted was the theme of the annual medical school Dean's Staff Recognition Dinner.
Held the evening of Nov. 9 at the Stanford Faculty Club, staff were recognized for providing five through 35 years of service, in five-year increments. In addition, two staff were singled out to receive a Spirit Award, implemented by the Dean Philip Pizzo five years ago to annually honor staff members for their outstanding contributions to the vision of the School of Medicine.
What really makes an organization great is the people, said Pizzo in announcing the two winners of the Spirit Award. And while "each of you is terrific in your own ways, two were selected for their special degree of diligence and commitment to making a difference in this community," he said.
The prize comes with a certificate, a $1,000 cash prize, and an "A" parking pass, a treasure that when mentioned at the dinner prompted a loud round of applause and cheers from the audience. Although Pizzo described the pass as being "worth its weight in gold," he did suggest that the recipients might consider a bicycle instead, a nod to the medical school's aggressive efforts to meet the university's goals to alleviate traffic on campus.
The 2006 winners were Nancy Winningham, faculty compensation manager for the school's planning and budgeting unit, and Homer Abaya, an administrative associate in the Department of Otolaryngology.
It turned out that the two winners had never met but knew each other from e-mailing back and forth. Each recognized the other's names when the announcement was made. They ended up at the same table at the dinner and hit it off, embracing several times throughout the evening as if they were old friends.
Winningham has been a part of Stanford since 1998, beginning at Stanford Hospital and moving to the School of Medicine at the end of 2002—"Our lucky day," said her supervisor Marcia Cohen, senior associate dean for finance and administration.
Winningham had learned of her honor in October, when she was called into a darkened room for a staff meeting. "Surprise," yelled her colleagues, as they jumped out from hiding to congratulate her.
But surprise is not what Winningham's colleagues feel about her getting the award. "She treats me like a valued customer and shares a sense of urgency as she reviews offer letters for faculty we are trying to recruit," said one department's director of finance administration who nominated her.
The DFA recalled, with amazement, how Winningham had been hospitalized but did not forego her responsibilities. "She called me and requested that I bring over offer letters for her to review," the nominator wrote. "Working from a hospital bed is way above and beyond the call of duty!"
Cohen, Winningham's supervisor, delivered the introduction to Winningham at the dinner, and remarked, "I was particularly thrilled that one of Nancy's 'customers' was motivated to nominate her. This is further evidence of the value that Nancy places on working collaboratively with all the departments."
Homer Abaya started in the Division of Otolaryngology eight years ago. He has helped build a new research lab as well as the Stanford Sinus Center. And colleagues credit his effort, when his division was being transformed into a deparment, for helping to make the transition go smoothly.
In nominating Abaya, his direct supervisor, administration services manager Jason Irwin, cited the consistent high level of customer service that Abaya provides: "The superb, non-stop comments we receive about his effectiveness and responsiveness to the needs of all our stakeholders—faculty, staff, residents, students and other trainees."
Brian David, the surgery department's director of finance and administration, who delivered Abaya's introduction, said, "Humor has played a great role in keeping us settled during stressful times. Homer, knows when to inject a joke and smile to bring the tension down."
Department chair Robert Jackler, MD, was unable to attend the dinner, but e-mailed from Singapore that he was Abaya's "No. 1 fan." Jackler wrote: "Want to know who to call, where to look for it, how it runs, how to fix it? Just ask Homer! His irrepressible 'can do' attitude is legendary throughout the Stanford medical community. He is the essential glue which holds us together."
Through the years, Abaya credits his success to interaction with faculty, clinicians and staff, and especially the department chair. "I am very thankful to Dr. Jackler, who literally transformed our division to becoming a world-class otolaryngology department in just a short time," Abaya said. "I could not even begin to think how he does the things that he does, but he gets it done, and I take inspiration from that."