Ripple Effect

The ripple effect is a situation in life in which when one thing occurs, it has a direct effect on other situations and the chain goes on and on.  At ECHO, we see this effect all the time – when one of our staff goes above and beyond and the positive impact ripples down to our patients and team members.

Below are some of our Ripple recipients who have been nominated since the start of 2025. These individuals exemplify the spirit of going above and beyond. Thank you all for making a difference in the lives of our patients and team members. Your kindness creates ripples that extend far beyond what you can see!

Dr. Nick

Dr. Nick was nominated for a Ripple Award by Rebecca. She shares, “While I was in charge of scheduling care, Dr. Nick was on hospital coverage. I received two urgent referrals from the hospital which Dr. Nick had proactively alerted me were coming. He had notified me there were two urgent patients that would need to be scheduled as soon as possible. Dr. Nick gave me the dates and times he would like to see them, as well as back-up dates and times for these patients. One patient conveyed how frightened she was of a possible new diagnosis. This patient was so happy and relieved to be seen the day after she left the ER. Dr. Nick has always been excellent at communication, and during my hectic week his communication made scheduling new, and urgent patients much easier and more efficient.”

Sheena

Sheena was nominated by Laurie who shared the following regarding the same patient “My nomination goes to Sheena.  We had a patient come in on Wednesday (long term pt with a chronic illness) whose condition had transformed to something much more aggressive . The patient needed to start treatment urgently.  Even though she was not feeling 100%, when I messaged her about needing a lot of things urgently for this patient, Sheena jumped right on it.  By the time the patient came in Thursday morning for her teach, Sheena had a PET, MRI, port, spinal tap, bone marrow biopsy and ECHO booked.  I don’t know what I’d do without Sheena’s help and magical abilities getting all of this done! “

Laurie

Laurie was nominated by Dana for her work orienting a patient to our office. She shares, “There is a long-term patient of Dr. Dhami who is new to receiving chemotherapy. I witnessed Laurie orienting the patient and the patient’s son to the infusion area, the hospitality station, and surrounding areas. She took the time to make sure the patient and her son were the most comfortable before the patient started treatment. This is a great idea that we can aim to incorporate into future treatment preparations for patients.“

Beth

Beth works in Billing. We had a patient’s wife call and asked to talk with Leadership to share just how helpful Beth has been with the unique insurance issues that her husband has faced. The patient’s wife specifically stated that “no one knows what’s going on” referring to the other healthcare systems and her husband’s unique insurance. Beth knew exactly what needed to be done and was so helpful. Kudos to Beth! 

Jill

We want to take a moment to recognize the incredible work Jill did in advocating for a patient. She persisted in pushing for authorization on a scan, refusing to take no for an answer. Jill, thank you for going above and beyond to ensure the best care possible. Your dedication and hard work do not go unnoticed!

Christie

Christie was recognized for the incredible compassion she showed to a patient in the waiting room. The patient has significant psych issues and unfortunately was on full display in the waiting room. Christie went right over to the patient, placed her hand on her shoulder and asked her what was going on. Christie was patient, showed compassion, empathy, showed absolutely no judgement towards the patient, and gave the patient a safe space to talk about her situation. You could visibly see the patient relax and it was clear she trusted Christie and her genuineness.  Christie talked to her about how important it is to make sure she took care of her mental health and that we are here to support in whatever way the patient needed.  The patient expressed gratitude. It’s a reminder that we truly have an incredible team that treats our patients holistically! Thank you, Christie, for making this patient feel at ease and for your unbelievable kindness. You made a difference for her.

In addition to her kindness, Christie does so much work behind the scenes scrubbing our data and quality metrics to ensure that we are operating at the highest level of care. We recently received the attached certificate of accreditation for quality assurance which is a testament to all the work that Christie does on the back end. Thank you Christie for all that you do here at ECHO.

Cyndi

Cyndi demonstrates incredible kindness and generosity. In one instance, she noticed that a patient had an accident, soiling their clothes. Without hesitation, Cyndi brought the patient a change of clothes and even took the soiled ones home to launder. Thank you, Cyndi, for your caring heart.

On another occasion, she sat with a patient whom was struggling with disease progression, and high anxiety, taking the time to truly listen. She learned that the patient needed a back brace, but he had no success of obtaining one. Without being asked, Cyndi went out and got a brace for him. Cyndi, your compassion and willingness to go above and beyond make my heart happy. Thank you for staying true to who you are. You truly brought peace and happiness to both of those individuals.

Spiro 

Has demonstrated remarkable dedication by immersing himself in understanding ECHO and our mission. He consistently steps up to help wherever he can – not just within the research department but across various teams. Whether it’s assisting nurses with picking up blood or platelets, supporting medical assistants with requisitions for Tempus and NGS, or even jumping in and joining our Foundation gala committee. Spiro embodies teamwork and kindness. Thank you for your generosity and willingness to jump in whenever needed.

Dorothy

A huge shout-out to Dorothy for her incredible compassion. While triaging calls, she received one from a patient experiencing anxiety – though the concern wasn’t directly related to a cancer diagnosis. She didn’t dismiss it. Dorothy took the time to listen. Rather than simply ending the call, she provided reassurance, shared self-care techniques, and truly made a difference in that patient’s day. Thank you, Dorothy, for going the extra mile and truly listening.

Tami

Tami showed incredible kindness when she learned that a patient was feeling down because of a new diagnosis and having a son in a group home .  She wasn’t feeling up to putting up a Christmas tree, didn’t have the energy and was quite overwhelmed with her diagnosis.  Tami delivered a tree with all the trimmings, bringing some extra holiday joy to the patient. Thank you, Tami, for your thoughtfulness and generosity.

Laurie T 

Laurie, had a patient whom was going through breast cancer, mastectomy and some low self-esteem and low confidence.  To help build this amazing woman up , laurie had a picture drafted of this patient showing that she truly is superwoman.  Laurie thank you for putting the patient’s feelings first and giving her that much needed support she needed. 

Winter of 2024

Christie Beausoleil

nominated by Anne Slam

“I want to recognize Christie for always being the backbone that supports every function in this office.  The last couple of days she has had to do at least 3 jobs plus her own due to call outs.  I simply can’t imagine ECHO without Christie!”

Cynthia Przekop

nominated by Christie B.

“I would like to put in a Ripple for Cyndi. She saw that a patient was here for a port flush and the patient was not on the schedule.  Cyndi saw that the patient had concerns and was tearful. Cyndi brought the patient back and took the time that the patient needed to talk.  It goes to show you how much compassion that our team has. Just that little extra time to make the patient feel better, removed the worries out of their eyes, and Cyndi did that for her.  Thank you Cyndi for taking the extra time!”

Emily Chromik

nominated by both Christie B. and Stacy S.

Emily was nominated for going above and beyond for a patient in order help complete financial assistance applications. Stacy shares:

 “Despite the fact that Dispensary has been turned upside down and EXTREMELY stressful and overwhelming, Emily is always kind to our patients. Particularly so when a patient could not come into the office to sign financial assistance documents. Emily called the patient’s wife and patiently instructed her on how to scan a document with her phone and email it back to her. The patient was (mostly) successful in doing so. The document was received but the image was incomplete and blurry. They gave it a good try! Because the patient would not be in the office any time soon, instead of trying again, Emily offered to drive to the patient on her way home to pick up the signed documents and bring them into the office to expedite the financial assistance process. I am grateful and honored to sit beside such a caring and kind person every day.”

Lisa Stanavage

nominated by Christie B and Angela A. 

Christie shares:

Lisa take the time each and everyday Monday-Friday and brings the FedEx packages (specimen) that needs to go out to FedEx as we have not had a reliable FedEx driver in some time now.  Thank you, Lisa, for your time in making sure that the patient’s specimens get taken care of.  Much appreciated!

Angela added:

I had to go into the office yesterday to mail a very important package. Lisa took time away from her work load to assist me in making sure the postage was correct and even followed up with me later to inform me that the package had been picked up by the mail carrier.  Having someone like her to step up and help me made everything so much easier and less stressful.  I would like to thank her so much for all that she has done since I started working at ECHO.”

Riley Lepage

nominated by Cyndi P.

I recently went into the lunchroom to heat my food up.  The rep invited me to get some food and I said that I wasn’t able to eat the food because of dietary restrictions.  He said Riley sent out a message requesting dairy free, gluten free, and a vegetarian option.  I know it may seem trivial, but I was so touched by how kind it was that she wanted to make sure everyone was included.  It sounds silly but her being so considerate really overwhelmed me in the best possible way.

Thank you Riley and Lisa for standing out for all that you do!

2023 Recipients of Ripple Award

Angelina Davidson

nominated by Tori Flowers

I would really like to nominate Angelina for a ripple. She chipped in to purchase a pair of sparkly crocs for a patient who is just starting a new chemo treatment. I got to witness the patient open the gift and the love and happiness she expressed was just so amazing to witness.  She has one of the biggest hearts and it was so great to see.

Param Panchal

nominated by Carissa Contillo

I would like to nominate Param for a Ripple Effect award! We asked Param to translate for a patient to tell her she needed to go to her PCP to get her blood pressure meds adjusted. When we realized her PCP was in the building, Param walked the patient upstairs and waited for her while she made an appointment. Param went out of his way to make sure this patient was well taken care of and got what she needed! Thank you Param!

Annie E.

nominated by Sheena Chapman

I would like to nominate Annie at the front desk – She is so caring with all the patients that come into the office. She offers them a snack or meal while here as well as will offer patients to prepare them a meal to take home. She keeps take out containers underneath her desk and gives patients left overs from staff meal when appropriate. She goes above and beyond in the care she provides!

Alexa D.

nominated by Heather Kwasnick

I want to nominate Alexa at the front desk for her kind heart, empathy and compassion for our patients. In relation to a specific patient, she donated her pregnancy pillow to one of our patients who was experiencing difficulty with sleeping due to recent radiation for her breast cancer. The patient reported to me that she slept maybe only a few hours a night as she was unable to get comfortable. Alexa donated a massive, full body maternity pillow to the patient with the hopes that she would be able to bring some comfort to her…and she did! The patient reported that she “loves her pillow” and was “so thankful” for it. It is gestures like these that seem small but truly can be life changing for our patients. Thank you, Alexa, for your kindness with this patient.