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Each year, Children's selects two Black Achievers, an honor that requires recipients to perform 40 hours of community service. This year's two achievers were nominated by their managers, then selected by the MLK Observance Committee based on their contribution to Children's and for progressing in the hospital.
Michelle Boyce, administrative associate III, is a fixture in 8 East's Cardiology Department. Seventeen years ago, she was hired at Children's as a housekeeper, but because that afforded her only minor interaction with patients, Boyce opted for a job change. "I felt like as a secretary, I could be more involved with the patients, nurses and doctors," she says.
Now Boyce is the first face many patients and families see when they arrive in her department. In her almost two decades at Children's, she's become an invaluable asset. "She's always one step ahead," says her nominator, Janet McGillicuddy, Patient Services administrator. Boyce is known for stepping in to help coworkers and patients alike, whether they need to schedule an appointment, are looking for equipment or just want a friend to listen to their story. A "jack of all trades," according to McGillicuddy, Boyce assists the nursing staff with workflow challenges and serves as a liaison to other departments to resolve equipment, supply, cleaning and safety issues.
In addition to working fulltime, Boyce juggles a family, studies business management at the University of Phoenix in Braintree and volunteers at the Big Sister Organization. "I like to be someone kids can talk to without feeling like they're being judged," she says. Even though she's been at Children's for many years, Boyce says her job still feels fresh. "Life is short," she says. "By being in this environment, you really get to appreciate each other, and all we do for patients." It's the staff that makes Boyce most satisfied; she says just about everyone at Children's has inspired her, from the physicians to nurses to housekeepers. "They keep this place running," she says.
Victoria Dune, assistant chief technologist in Nuclear Medicine, is very passionate about her job. When the Nuclear Medicine department in Waltham opened in July 2006, she transferred there from the Longwood campus, where she had worked for six years, to be the lead technologist. Within a year, she was promoted to the position she holds today. Patricia Devine, BS, RT, operation manager of Imaging Services, was new to Children's at the time, and felt extremely lucky to have Dune by her side. "She set up the department and made sure we kept the same standards as Boston," she says.
Dune organizes and supervises the day-to-day operations of the department and has developed a close working relationship with staff in Waltham and Boston. To promote awareness about Nuclear Medicine at Waltham, Dune gives talks about the field. This year, she held a hospital-wide event for employees to learn about patient cases in which the patients were seen in several different departments throughout the hospital. "I want to show how we are all connected," she says. According to Devine, the staff loved it. "Everyone got to contribute and learn," she says. Dune is also actively involved in the Ask Me! program at Waltham.
In her off time, Dune is involved in the Aldersgate Methodist Church in Worcester, where she oversees various charity programs, including an international mission for Zimbabwean orphans and a children's club. "We provide a safe place for kids to come, do their homework and get a meal," she says. Currently pursuing a master's degree in Management in Health Care at Cambridge College, Dune is married with a young child. "I feel very humbled," she says about receiving the Black Achievers award.
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