Jim Klavon

Jim Klavon, RN, typically doesn’t know where he’ll be going when he arrives at UPMC St. Margaret for his shift each night.

As a senior resource pool nurse, he goes wherever he’s needed. And that could be anywhere in the hospital.

“They just tell me where I’m needed for the night, and depending on what floor, I go wherever they tell me to,” Jim says. “I’ve worked in the intensive care unit. I’ve worked on our step-down unit. Ortho, med-surg, emergency department. So, pretty much anywhere they need.

“I think the only place I’ve never actually worked was inside an operating room. But I’ve also worked in the PACU (post-anesthesia care unit) recovery room. Pretty much anywhere they need me, that’s the way it goes on a nightly basis.”

For his willingness and ability to fill many roles, Jim is this month’s UPMC Pittsburgh Penguins Healthcare Hero.

Jim has worked in nursing for 42 years, including over 20 years at UPMC St. Margaret. He worked in various units full-time — psychiatry, emergency department, intensive care, and more — before moving to the resource pool full-time.

As a resource pool nurse, Jim needs an extensive skill set because each unit has a different purpose and different types of patients. But he leans on his experience and the people he works with.

“Jim is dependable and a consistent part of the care team, even though he floats throughout the hospital,” says Dawn Rankin, MSN, RN, NE-BC, director, capacity management, resource pool, and support services, UPMC St. Margaret.

“Jim is admired as a senior nurse and often sought out for his knowledge and experience — or just for a new IV. He impacts the growth of our new nurses and provides a sense of support to the units.”

Before becoming a nurse, Jim was a Navy Hospital Corpsman, helping provide care to Navy members. To this day, he has a connection with patients who are veterans.

“Sometimes, we put little signs on the door, or you go in, and they have a hat on,” he says. “You thank them. You can sort of relate to them. You know some of the stuff they’ve been through. It touches me. It’s special.”

One of the lessons Jim learned in the Navy was the value of teamwork — the importance of the person next to you. That’s something he continues to value today with the people he works with at UPMC St. Margaret.

“An important part of it all is the people that I work with,” he says. “They’re really great people, and I get to know everybody in the whole hospital. The biggest change is when we have new people come in, and old people leave that you’ve been working with for years. But I’m mellow, tolerant, and get along with people generally.”

Dawn says Jim is an important part of the team, caring for his patients, co-workers, and families. She says he often hears from patients that Jim will take the time to listen to their medical concerns.

When a co-worker was recently in the hospital, Jim went to the cafeteria each morning to get her husband a cup of coffee, “knowing that the husband did not want to leave his wife’s bedside unless it was necessary,” says Emily Wickline, PhD, MSN, RN, CMSRN, senior clinician, resource pool, UPMC St Margaret.

“Jim is supportive and collaborative within the team,” Dawn says. “He advocates for changes to leadership and stands alongside his co-workers when they need help. After being a nurse for 40 years, you tend to have strong critical thinking skills, and Jim is always willing to share his knowledge with others.”

Jim acknowledges he gets “a little cranky” sometimes while “trudging (his) bones into the hospital.” But he says he’s holding up well physically and mentally and plans to work as long as he can.

“I like what I’m doing,” he says. “Luckily, I’m a nurse, and you’re not honed into one thing. I’ve done different areas of nursing. I like working with people, taking care of the patients, and definitely, the person next to me — the camaraderie.

“ … It’s satisfying. At the end of the day, I feel good about what I did. I helped someone.”

Larry Simmons

Larry Simmons says his mentality as a kitchen steward is the same as his mentality from his days in the military.

“Wherever they need me, I’m there,” says Larry, who’s worked at UPMC Mercy for five years. “Just plug me in anywhere.”

For his dedication to his work and willingness to fulfill many roles, Larry is this month’s UPMC Pittsburgh Penguins Healthcare Hero.

As a kitchen steward, Larry’s responsibilities include washing pots and pans, cleaning the kitchen and dish areas, taking out trash, delivering trays, and much more.

“By diligently washing pots and pans, taking out the garbage, cleaning the kitchen, and ensuring items are properly sanitized through the dish machine, Larry helps prevent the spread of illness and supports the well-being of the patients and staff,” says Jennifer McKelvey, director of Food and Nutrition Services at UPMC Mercy.

“His commitment to these tasks ensures that meals are prepared in a clean space and that the dietary department functions smoothly. Larry’s behind-the-scenes work is vital to creating a safe, efficient, and healthy environment, making him an unsung hero in the health care system.”

Larry is dedicated to his work, picking up extra shifts if needed or filling various roles. He says his parents instilled that mentality in him.

“My mother and father stayed on us,” he says. “They said if you’re looking for an easy day, then there’s no such thing in life. You’ve got to go and give it your all: give 110%.”

Larry was an Army Special Forces sniper for 12 1/2 years. He says his service taught him the value of teamwork in accomplishing a mission.

“You depend on each other, and everyone is somebody that you have to depend on to make sure you get through the next day,” Larry says.

He continues to see the value of teamwork today in the UPMC Mercy kitchen. He says from leadership on down, the staff works together to fulfill their daily mission of providing quality food in a clean, safe environment.

“You need teamwork to make sure that everything and everybody are doing their job, so we can all make sure our patients, our guests, and our fellow employees have a good meal, are safe, and are comfortable,” Larry says.

Jennifer says Larry helps to create a positive environment both through his attitude and his actions. For example, he buys lunch for his co-workers and recently hosted a surprise baby shower for one of them.

He also recently worked with a co-worker who has special needs and wanted to learn how to wash dishes. Jennifer says Larry took the time to work with that employee and teach him the finer details of washing dishes in a supportive way.

“Larry is known for his hard-working, dedicated nature and friendly interactions with everyone he encounters, whether customers, co-workers, or patient family members,” Jennifer says. “He goes above and beyond to create a supportive and welcoming environment, often showing kindness through thoughtful gestures.

“Larry’s actions come from the heart, with no expectation of recognition or rewards, making him an invaluable and beloved presence in the workplace.”

Although he doesn’t expect rewards, Larry has received them. Before coming to UPMC, he worked at another hospital for 33 years, filling many different kitchen and dining roles. He was twice named Employee of the Year.

Larry retired from that job, but after six months, he says he felt bored and wanted to return to work. That brought him to UPMC Mercy, where he’s become a valuable member of the team.

“On a daily basis, I give 100%, and I feel my department gives me 100% to make sure that we get everything done and make sure everyone is pleased with the service they receive here,” he says.

Kayla Brown

As a nurse in the UPMC Passavant–Cranberry Emergency Department (ED), Kayla Brown, RN, sees many people on their worst day.

She strives to do everything she can to improve those days by being a positive presence.

“To be a positive person as much as possible, depending on the situation, can be so impactful for these patients and their families,” says Kayla, a professional staff nurse at UPMC Passavant–Cranberry.

For always looking out for her patients, Kayla is this month’s UPMC Pittsburgh Penguins Healthcare Hero Spotlight.

Kayla has worked at UPMC Passavant–Cranberry since 2018. She says she always felt drawn to the emergency department.

“You are there by the patient’s side during the good times, the bad times, the victories, the failures, all of that,” she says. “It's a beautiful thing to be a part of that. And I've always wanted to be that positive person because, especially in emergency medicine, I'm meeting patients on the worst day of their lives or what they believe is the worst day of their lives.”

Soon after Kayla became a nurse, she took training to become a forensic nurse and sexual assault nurse examiner. Those nurses care for victims of sexual violence, intimate partner violence, child abuse, elder abuse, and more.

“Forensic nursing is always something I've been interested in because you can make such an impact,” she says. “It's not an immediate impact. It's not an instant satisfaction with these cases because they take a long time to go through the court systems and whatnot. But to be that one person that can sit there and just listen to these patients and process their accounts of what happened and be their advocate … is just an amazing opportunity.”

Betsy Tedesco, DNP, clinical director, Emergency Services, UPMC Passavant, says Kayla “goes above and beyond with compassion, drive, and empathy.” Those qualities help her to succeed at work.

“Despite the patients in the ED experiencing a stressful situation, Kayla always makes them comfortable, safe, and protected,” Betsy says. “She communicates openly and makes sure that the patients and their loved ones have their questions or concerns answered.”

Kayla also is among the first people to volunteer to take on a responsibility, Betsy says. She was the first employee to volunteer to work in UPMC Passavant’s COVID-19 monoclonal antibody clinic, which provided treatments to COVID-19 patients.

She also leads her department’s employee experience council, which strives to build teamwork, communication, collaboration, and positive relationships.

“When you have the ability to openly communicate with each other, the patients have a better outcome,” Kayla says. “They have a better experience because everybody's collaborating together on what we could do for this patient.”

Betsy says the council was a major undertaking, but Kayla made it a priority. It’s an example of her dedicated approach to her job.

“Kayla is always hard-working, dedicated, compassionate, committed, and a true servant leader,” Betsy says. “She is always two feet first into any situation, always there to help, and always provides support to those around her.”

Kayla acknowledges that working in the emergency department can be emotionally taxing. But she comes to work to help patients in their most stressful situations and give them the answers they need.

“They're so incredibly vulnerable that whole time,” she says. “Just a smile or just sitting down next to them, even if it's for 30 seconds, can make such a significant difference, and it’s worth it.”

“To be able to give them an answer and help them get through this time (is so important).”