It’s hard to tell which place Shelley Knox is more committed to – South Buffalo or Mercy Hospital. “I’ve never moved, never lived anywhere else,” she tells me.

Then again, Shelley has worked in environmental services (EVS) at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo for 36 years.

Shelley, staying safe in PPE, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic

She lived through the sadness of losing both her parents at a young age. “this was my first real job at 18 years old, and I stuck with it,” she says. Shelley started in the laundry department, then transitioned to EVS, where workers perform cleaning and sanitation services to maintain the hospital.

What does Shelley like most about her job? “You get to know the patients,” she says. “Like so-and-so, he’s in room 28. But I know practically everyone in the hospital… any floor I go on, everyone knows me.”

Part of the Same Team

She speaks highly of the community at Mercy Hospital, particularly the relationship between nurses and EVS workers. “When food gets dropped off, the nurses include everyone in the department,” she says. “We’re all part of the same team.”

Working through the COVID-19 pandemic was probably one thing Shelley never expected. But her role as a healthcare hero was clear.

“Wiping down doorknobs, chairs, light switches… that was all part of keeping infections down, and getting patients discharged a whole lot sooner,” says Lisa Robert, Director of EVS at Mercy.

“I don’t think people realize there’s all these little jobs within a hospital,” Shelley says. “You don’t have to be a nurse or a doctor to have a career. This is not a job, it’s a career.”

At the end of each day, Shelley says she always leaves satisfied – “I know I did my best, I did another day, and I did it good.”

Love the Work You Do

Do you have what it takes to be a healthcare hero? Learn more about our current job opportunities at jobs.chsbuffalo.org or discuss career development with a member of our recruitment team at the number listed below.

Learn About Our Job Opportunities Visit jobs.chsbuffalo.org -or- Call 1-877-247-5989

 

Learn About Our Job Opportunities
Visit jobs.chsbuffalo.org
-or-
Call 1-877-247-5989