| Lori
Briggs is employee of the month
The first voice many of St. Mary’s Hospital and Clinics patients hear belongs to the October Employee of the Month, Lori Briggs. 
“It’s reassuring for our patients and everyone else who calls our switchboard
to hear such a friendly, outgoing voice,” said one of her co-workers.
Briggs works 25 hours a week answering incoming phone calls, entering data
for insurance reimbursement, helping with patient admits and completing
electronic deposits.
Originally hired in 2004 as an inpatient unit coordinator , Briggs shifted positions after three and half years to work in the business office. “When my youngest son entered elementary school I returned to school to become a certified nursing assistant and to study medical terminology. Learning about healthcare was a great joy to me,” said Briggs. “When I did my clinicals at St. Mary’s for my CNA license I applied for their unit coordinator position and began working after my schooling was finished.” She completed her studies at Lewis Clark State College. In addition to her work responsibilities, Briggs also serves on the customer service team which meets monthly to look at ways to enhance the patient experience at the clinic or in the hospital. She also originated the cookbook fundraiser for Relay for Life with proceeds benefitting the American Cancer Society. “One of our patients truly touched me as I watched his progression while he was ill. On a day off I saw his name in the obituary column. I wanted to do something and I happened to be looking at a cookbook my son made when he was in the third grade,” said Briggs. “It seemed like a good way to draw people together. I took the idea to the Relay team. They immediately said ‘yes.’ We asked staff and community members to contribute their favorite recipes then sold the cookbooks. I couldn’t have done it without a lot of help and a lot of recipes from a lot of people.” One of the nominators described her as “…very friendly…continually has a smile on her face. She always asks both patients and co-workers how they are and seems to know what people need before they even ask…” When asked what she likes most about her job Briggs quickly said, “The men and women I work with at St. Mary’s have made my years of employment so enjoyable. We take our jobs seriously, but also are very friendly with each other. I have met some wonderful and kind hearted people from the local community and neighboring towns during my seven years at SMHC.” When not working Briggs enjoy hiking, shed horn hunting and rock hounding. She was raised riding horses and dirt bikes. “I still love that along with watching my two sons play baseball.” She also jogs with her three Labs and pug. Her husband of 22 years, Jim, is a survey manager for M.A. Deatly. Her oldest son is studying auto mechanics in college and her youngest son is a sophomore in high school. |
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