Outstanding Employees

You might say nursing is in Ruth Reyes’ blood. Her great, great grandmother was a wartime nurse in what became Czechoslovakia in the late 1800s. The Depression kept her mother from becoming a nurse, but Ruth revived the tradition when she went to work for Baptist in 1966, quickly moving into rehabilitation.

More than 40 years later, Ruth is now a case manager, and she still enjoys the challenges and rewards of seeing patients successfully complete their rehabilitation. “It’s an amazing process,” says Ruth, “and I am privileged to help make it happen!” She does so by combining her extensive medical knowledge with a genuine concern for each patient’s individual needs. And she’s right here at Baptist Rehab-Germantown.

Joy Tingo has been a Baptist colleague since 1993, but she found a home in inpatient therapy, where she feels she can help patients make the most significant improvements in their mobility.

"Baptist Rehab-Germantown has so many success stories because of our evidence-based therapy techniques and because the staff here is so experienced and dedicated. My colleagues have become true friends and my second family."

Her advice to all: "Count your blessings and keep the faith!"

Thank you, Joy, for being one of the reasons Baptist Rehab-Germantown patient outcomes meet or surpass regional and antional averages. And why our facility is CARF-accredited in nine major rehabilitation programs for both adolescents and adults.

A nurse at Baptist for 19 years, Debra Hornberger has always made an effort to get to know her patients. One day, while working on the high-risk unit, she learned that knowledge flows both ways.

“Two of my patients got up on their own (for safety reasons, we encourage them to call for assistance). I ran first to one room, then the other, until I was out of breath. I told them I was going to have a heart attack chasing all of them today, and they said, That’s okay, you’re off tomorrow!”

Fortunately, Debra loves working with people and encouraging them, so they feel they can get out of bed on their own. And she’s right here at Baptist Rehab-Germantown.

After almost five years at Baptist Rehab-Germantown, Teresa's favorite part of the job is the relationships she develops with patients.

"We get to work with our patients for extended periods of time, since spinal cord patients generally need more rehab. I enjoy being able to develop a rapport with them and their families. It is so rewarding to see them regain the ability to function on a level they thought was impossible - and even more rewarding when we hear from patients after discharge that they are doing well."

Thank you, Teresa, for being one of the reasons Baptist Rehab-Germantown patient outcomes meet or surpass regional and national averages. And why our facility is CARF-accredited in nine major rehabilitation programs for both adolescents and adults.

Michael Tabb will always remember the young woman who came to him after being in a coma. A brain injury had left her unable to walk or use her dominant hand. With Michael’s help she got back on her feet and learned to use her other hand, went on to finish college, and is now a teacher. Michael considers himself her first student.

Rewards like that have kept him at Baptist for 16 years, where he is now an occupational therapist specializing in stroke and other neurological recovery. And he’s right here at Baptist Rehab-Germantown.

Mike Markee got involved in physical therapy back in high school as a part-time tech. His interest in sports medicine exposed him to many patients with complicated spine injuries, which he took as a challenge.

"Was it what I expected? No. Has it been rewarding? You bet!" says Mike. "The challenge of treating spine patients turned into a love, and now, a career. Treating spine patients is not an easy task, and coordinating treatment with physicians and nurse practitioners is essential. Baptist Rehab-Germantown makes that easy because their commitment to professionals means we have some of the leading clinicians here."

Thank you, Mike, for being one of the reasons Baptist Rehab-Germantown patient outcomes meet or surpass regional and national averages. And why our facility is CARF-accredited in nine major rehabilitation programs for both adolescents and adults.

Lynn Joyner thought she understood words like courage and faith until she worked with children who had cancer. Ever since, she’s brought a capacity for empathy and a positive attitude to every patient she’s seen — not to mention great skill. As a radiology technician for the past nine years, Lynn has done it all — MRI, nuclear medicine, X-ray, CT scans. And she’s right here at Baptist Rehab-Germantown.

Carolyn has been helping patients at Baptist Rehab-Germantown for 12 years, and she's worked in the Baptist system for nearly 40 years, using her expertise in customer relations, telecommunications, physician services and troubleshooting.

Her personal motto is, "If I can help somebody along the way, then my living will not be in vain." And her greatest reward? "Seeing patients' faces when they're discharged - patients who didn't realize how rehabilitation could make such a dramatic difference in their lives."

Thank you, Carolyn, for being one of the reasons Baptist Rehab-Germantown patient outcomes meet or surpass regional and national averages. And why our facility is CARF-accredited in nine major rehabilitation programs for both adolescents and adults.