Longtime Employees Share Memories, Hopes for Texas Health’s Future
This is the first in a series of articles highlighting some of Texas Health’s longest-tenured employees as we celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary.
Doug Hawthorne, the first CEO of Texas Health Resources, spoke often of “the power of one – the strength of many” in the early days of the organization. Twenty-five years later, bolstered by Our Texas Health Promise: Individuals Caring For Individuals, Together, Texas Health continues to be strong because of the strength of many. Read on to learn about those who have been giving their hearts and talents to Texas Health for more than 25 years.
Little hospital on the prairie’
As Texas Health has grown over the past 25 years, Kathy Struve, MLT(HHS), has been committed to her own growth.
“I have taken every opportunity to learn and grow as Texas Health has grown,” she said.
Struve had her first experience working with Texas Health almost 45 years ago as a junior in high school. She worked in the laboratory at Johnson County Memorial Hospital (eventually renamed Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne) through a work-study program in 1978. She went on to begin working full time at Texas Health Cleburne in 1986 as a medical technologist. In 1990, she joined Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth.
Currently the laboratory supervisor at Texas Health Southwest, Struve remembers the early days of working at the “little hospital on the prairie,” pitching in to help the Emergency Department and making the 4 a.m. lab run with her favorite co-worker.
“We knew everyone in the hospital and were truly a family,” she said. “Texas Health has been a great place to work and has always felt like home to me.”
Doing the bump
Fedisha Hampton, manager, PBX, Texas Health Resources, will never forget Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas’ 35th anniversary.
“We were out on the hospital’s front lawn and Doug Hawthorne, who was CEO of Texas Health at the time, stopped by to help with our set up,” said Hampton. “I started doing a dance called the bump, and he joined right in. We had a great time dancing, and everyone was happy to watch us.”
Hampton joined Texas Health Dallas in 1994 as a PBX operator and moved to System Services in 2018 as manager of PBX. She has done her best work at Texas Health by focusing on relationships and her faith.
“I make sure I treat everyone with kindness, compassion, understanding and a lot of love,” she said. “Everything I do, I do for God, and by putting him first, it makes it easy to do my best work.”
Supporting her co-workers
Labor Day shenanigans are among Carman Chamberlain’s favorite memories from working at Texas Health. Chamberlain is the unit assistant in Hemodialysis at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth.
“For a morale boost a number of years ago, we all pretended we were pregnant on Labor Day,” she said.
Chamberlain joined Texas Health Fort Worth in 1995 as a cashier in the Clay J. Berry Garage. In her current role, Chamberlain focuses on supporting her co-workers.
“I do my best to ensure my co-workers have everything they need to provide outstanding patient care,” she said.
Her wish for Texas Health’s future is that the organization will stay focused on the community.
“I hope we continue to evaluate the needs of the community and how that impacts patient care,” Chamberlain said.
Published August 8, 2022
