Taylor Owens, an admissions specialist at the UF HealthEmergency Center at Kanapaha, recently received a quarterly CEO Award through the Customer Service is the Key program. She was recognized by her manager for her kindness and compassion. Ed Jimenez, UF Health Shands CEO, surprised Owens at work to honor her for going the extra mile to support patient and community care.

Here are the details: During a tropical storm last fall, a woman lost power in her home and had no way to charge her oxygen concentrator. Desperate for help, she came into the Kanapaha E.R., where Owens sprang into action and set up a comfortable place for her in the lobby. Owens continuously checked on the woman and brought her refreshments. When the oxygen equipment was fully charged and the patient was ready to leave, Owens called the power company to ensure the patient’s power would be on at home. These acts of kindness made Owens an obvious choice for the CEO Award.

“My favorite thing about working at UF Health Shands is the different people I get to meet. Between the staff and the patients, you get to learn what makes different people tick,” Owens said. “Before I worked in the E.R., I would have never thought people go back and thank the staff for taking care of them or their loved ones. It is refreshing to see people being kind to one another.”

Owens was nominated by Sandra Blocker, R.N., the nurse manager for the UF Health Emergency Center at Kanapaha and UF Health Shands Emergency Center at Springhill. The two have worked together for three years.

“Taylor has a sweet disposition and is always smiling and pleasant. Being the first person our patients encounter is sometimes difficult because they are in pain and scared,” Blocker said. “Taylor always has a calm demeanor and answers their questions.”

A few days before receiving the CEO Award, Owens found out she was accepted to nursing school. Anyone who knows the Owens family wasn’t surprised — Taylor’s mom, Ruth Owens, R.N., is a registered nurse at the UF Health Shands Emergency Center at Springhill and recently celebrated 31 years at UF Health Shands.

CEO Award winners receive a VISA gift card and a “Get Out of Work Free” certificate to redeem for eight hours of paid time off. With the gift card, Owens plans to buy scrubs for nursing school, purchase school supplies or use it during her day off.

Owens said, “I am super thankful for everything and so happy to have an opportunity to work here and help make people’s lives a little better.”