Alma Luzania had no issues when two of her supervisors showed up last Thursday to walk through Peppi’s House, the TMC Hospice inpatient unit where the Environmental Services associate has worked for the past four of her 10-year tenure at TMC.

 Had they asked her, though, she would have preferred not having the inspection the day after she was off. She would have been even better prepared.  But no matter, she handled it with the calm, good-natured spirit she has come to be known by.

 After they finished up, Luzania got word that a meeting in the break room couldn’t start until some spilled soda was cleaned up. She got her cleaning cart and was just getting her gloves on when all in the breakroom – including her supervisors – started to applaud.

 It took her a moment until she realized they were applauding for her. Luzania was being recognized as the Heart of Hospice for the first quarter in 2019.

 “Alma is such an asset to have around. She is extraordinarily hard-working and conscientious,” said one colleague in an anonymous nomination.  “She takes a lot of pride in our unit and works her buns off to keep it clean and running smoothly. She is a true team player and a joy to have around.”

 It’s not just Hospice staff members who have noticed how much Luzania means to the organization.

 “You don’t just ‘clean’ rooms,” said Richard Prevallet, TMC vice president of Facilities, which recently assumed Environmental Services, “You are part of a care team.”

 Her role is essential in all that she does, but even more so when it comes to the first impression of a hospice patient and their family members. “When admissions are coming in, Alma coordinates with the staff to prioritize which rooms need to be cleaned,” one staff member wrote. “She’s so thorough and professional that if she got them ready, you can trust the rooms are right.”

 Another at the celebration commented that “I’ve watched her clean a room, and she cleans places I never thought to clean. Let’s just say, you won’t find any dust bunnies under a bed.”

 And while her supervisors were there on a ruse, Luzania takes it all in stride. There was, after all, the time during an accreditation inspection by The Joint Commission that a surveyor singled her out, according to Kim Fore, director of TMC Hospice.

 “The surveyor grabbed her and started saying ‘show me this’ and ‘show me that,’” Fore recalled, noting that Luzania had no problem with the high-stakes interaction. “Alma rocked it!”

As Heart of Hospice for the quarter, Luzania’s name and photo goes onto a recognition plaque on the unit, she received a pin and gets a dedicated parking space until next quarter. The award allows colleagues to recognize their peers: