Longtime employees share favorite memories, hopes for Texas Health’s future
This is the fifth and final article in a series highlighting some of Texas Health Resources’ longest-tenured employees as we celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary.
Texas Health’s longest-tenured employees have invested in their patients, their hospitals, their career growth and their communities. Their contributions to our past are an inspiration for our future.
Finding her passion
Michel Roberts, B.S.N., R.N., CRNI, VA-BC, began her Texas Health career at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital 30 years ago. She worked on the telemetry unit, and in 2006, she became one of the first peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) nurses at the hospital. Roberts transferred closer to home at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth in 2021.
“I have stayed at Texas Health for more than 25 years because of the people,” she said. “The hardest part of leaving Texas Health Arlington Memorial after 29 years was leaving the relationships that were made over the years.”
Roberts said she has been able to do her life’s best work at Texas Health.
“I have been able to find what I am passionate about, which is vascular access,” she said.
Growing her career
Yolanda Gonzalez, RTR, CT, has spent all of her 29-year Texas Health career at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford. She began as a transporter for Radiology and has advanced to become a radiology interventional technologist.
“Texas Health has been a great system to work for,” she said. “They have helped me grow as an individual and helped me with my education to achieve my degree. They are flexible with my home life and offer good benefits.”
She appreciates that she can continue to grow and hopes that Texas Health will continue to grow as well.
“I hope that Texas Health will expand into more communities and will achieve more national recognition,” she said.
Caring for employees
With 30 years of experience at Texas Health, Patricia Davenport, R.N., BEN, COHN-s, program director of Employee Health, says she has been able to do her life’s best work by caring for employees.
“I have done my best work by offering encouraging words to employees who are hurting, scared, frustrated or making tough medical decisions,” she said. “I also appreciate the opportunity to mentor the new generation of Employee Health nurses who will offer this comfort and expertise for years to come.”
She says her hope for Texas Health’s future is that the organization will continue to serve employees and our communities with hope and services that make life better.
“An employee who is able to meet their personal needs and the needs of their family is able to come to work to bring joy and passion to our patients who are needing help and hope,” she said.
Published December 15, 2022
