At the virtual Employee Service Awards in January, staff tuned in to celebrate their colleagues’ major work milestones from 5 to 40 years of service. Among the employees honored for 40 years were Darnell Mullins, a patient care technician in Perioperative Services, and Terry James, HVAC-R lead in Engineering Services. While they serve different roles at the hospital – Mullins is involved in direct patient interactions, and James is involved in behind-the-scenes tasks – both share the same goal of patient safety and comfort.
Darnell Mullins
Mullins was 18 years old when he started his first job as a nurse’s aide. He worked through various units, including Medical/Surgical, Transport, Oncology, and Orthopaedics, eventually becoming one of the first patient care technicians at PAH, now working in the Operating Room and Cardiac-Vascular Therapy Surgical units. He remembers when nurses used glass thermometers, which had to be shaken to obtain an accurate temperature reading.
“I had old-school, wonderful teachers,” said Mullins. “They taught me that technology can fail. A machine may stop working and you have to do things manually. It’s the kind of teaching I pass on to the new folks here.”
In his current role, Mullins works at patients’ bedsides, taking vital signs, drawing blood, prepping them for surgeries, and transporting them from the pre-operative unit to the operating room. But his top priority is making patients feel at home during their time at the hospital.
“Most patients are nervous, so I try to make them feel comfortable and make them laugh,” said Mullins. “I want them to feel like they’re number one.”
Mullins also maintains close connections with his colleagues. Anna Lee Sigueza, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPAN, nurse manager of Perianesthesia, first met Mullins four years ago when she was a new employee. They quickly bonded over deep-sea fishing – an interest Mullins and Sigueza’s father both share.
“He has the same passion for fishing as my dad. He’ll fish all year round,” said Sigueza. “Darnell is a lot of fun to work with, and he’s highly skilled in his role at PAH. He knows all the ins and outs and is always willing to help others navigate the hospital.”
In his fourth decade at PAH, Mullins has enjoyed watching new generations of health care professionals step into clinical roles, offering new insight into patient care delivery.
For his colleagues, Mullins offers words of wisdom: “Be a solution finder. Things change, technology changes, but our high-quality care should be consistent. With an open mind, and collaboration with your team, you can find new approaches to solve any problem.”
Terry James
Starting his first job in Nutrition Services, James remembers looking at a huge, industrial dishwashing machine in the kitchen, capable of quickly washing plates and utensils for a rapid turnover.
“They didn’t have paper or plastic plates back then,” said James. “It was all silverware.”
Now, as the HVAC-R lead, James monitors and ensures that big machines like this are efficiently running at the hospital.
“Terry is my go-to person when it comes to running our systems,” said Jeff O’Neill, AIA, ACHA, CHFM, senior director of Facilities. “He’s nothing short of being an expert in his field.”
Although James may not be involved in face-to-face patient interactions, he is behind the maintenance of room technology that keeps patients safe and comfortable during their stay at PAH. For patients undergoing surgery, James makes sure the operating rooms have positive pressurization – preventing airborne particles from entering the room to keep the space sterile and clean. While a patient is recovering in their room, James maintains the temperature within a comfortable range so they’re not too hot or cold. He also manages other components of an HVAC system, such as electricity, heating and cooling, plumbing, and refrigeration. To acquire these specialized skills, James enrolled in a technical institute and built his skillset through various positions at PAH.
After working in Nutrition Services, then shifting to being a Nursing escort for several years, James applied for a B mechanic position in Engineering – a role involved in minor repairs for machinery. For three years, after his shifts, he attended courses in controls and pneumatics – pressurization technology – which led him to obtaining an A mechanic position, the highest mechanic level. He continued to enroll in local programs to achieve more certifications and increase his knowledge in HVAC, but specifically wondered how he could improve those systems at PAH.
“The medical field is ever-changing,” said James. “Keeping up with your education is paramount to help the entity survive and thrive.”
Recently, James was involved in a major infrastructure project at the Spruce building, upgrading all its systems with new equipment or modifying controls to optimize work processes. “It’s been a long road,” said James.
“I never say no to a project or an opportunity to enhance my skills. I always try to achieve and do what’s best for the people at PAH.”