César Moreno, a Service Assistant at Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI), has won the ‘Unsung Hero’ award at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals’ (DBTH) annual Star Awards which took place at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
César moved from Tenerife to work for the Trust over 13 years ago and began working as a service assistant within the Emergency Department at DRI. Since then, César has moved on to work in the same role for the Central Team, which oversees a number of areas, and, according to peers, is doing a fantastic job as proven by the multiple nominations that he received for the organisation’s annual staff awards.
DBTH Stars is the Trust’s Staff Awards and Recognition Scheme. Any member of staff or patient who has received care at the Trust can nominate someone who they think is deserving of the recognition. This year, award winners were gifted a number a free passes to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, an exclusive ‘animal experience’ within the venue to be enjoyed with friends and family, as well as vouchers.
Upon winning the award, César said: “It made me feel really good, as the little things that we do here are clearly getting recognised. Someone in our department came up to me and said that they were glad to see that our work is clearly being appreciated across the hospital.”
As a service assistant at the DRI, César will transport patients around the hospital to get an X-ray, CT scan, or an MRI, as well as for other things. He also has to transport blood and medications to various areas around the site, meaning that he plays an integral role in keeping everything flowing at the DRI.
César is very enthusiastic about his work and thoroughly enjoys spending time to get to know the patients he transports around the hospital. He said: “I communicate with everyone on the corridors, entertaining them. I talk with a lot of patients and am often recognised by those who regularly visit the hospital, calling me by my name. I try and do the little things to make their day a bit better, because it can be quite boring staying in the same room, with the same people, for many hours. When they go out for X-rays, or other such things, it is a break from that environment.”
Leuven Birks, DRI Perioperative Assistant, was one of the multiple individuals who nominated César for the award. He said: “César Moreno is a member of staff who brightens up every room he enters, you can even see him smile when he is wearing his mask. When he enters a room everyone starts smiling. I feel that César makes everyone feel better even when they are at their worst.
“César always says ‘hi’ to everyone he comes across, when entering a ward, he is very approachable and always takes time to ask how you are. He is such a genuinely caring man who is passionate for making people smile.”
Speaking about the Trust’s Unsung Hero, Dr Kirsty Edmondson-Jones, Director of Estates and Facilities, said: “César is an absolute one in a million. He has a smile for everybody he meets and is something of a celebrity at the Trust. César treats everyone he comes across in the most professional manner, however it is his warmth and friendly demeanour that shines through that makes him a favourite of both staff and patients. As an organisation our values state ‘We Care’ – César typifies this every time he enters the building and for that he is truly deserving of this award – thank you for everything you do.”