Portraits of Barnabas: Cara Hammonds (Q3 2017)

Just a few years ago, HealthKeeperz launched the Barnabas Awards program, designed by our leadership team to have our employees select the people who, on a quarterly and annual basis, inspire them to be their best by living the values of our Barnabas Culture.
 
Barnabas, a disciple of Jesus Christ, serves as a Biblical example of the many attributes necessary for HealthKeeperz to operate as a strong, vibrant, Christ-honoring organization. Our approach to providing the highest standard of community-based health care services to the people of North Carolina, defined as our Barnabas Culture, seeks to promote and recognize HealthKeeperz team members who have served our company, our patients, and our people by being a Barnabas. 
 
Colleagues recognized quarterly, as well as at our annual Barnabas Awards banquet contribute to the HealthKeeperz mission of caring for all people for the glory of God. The ultimate goal of the Barnabas Culture at HealthKeeperz is to build a community of caregivers who are caring, selfless, humble, and encourage their teammates.
 
In this series, Portraits of Barnabas, we are highlighting the winners of the award. In the last few months, we’ve honored Janet Locklear of our hospice services division, Timmie Stultz of home medical equipment, and community health educator Tito Massol. In addition, we learned about 2018 Super Barnabas Winner Hortensia Ray Alston-Hayes of our northeastern NC office, as well as 2017 quarterly winner Crystal Strickland.
 
Today, let’s enjoy a look at the life and work of Cara Hammonds winner of a quarterly Barnabas Award in the third quarter of 2017. Cara, like our other cherished Barnabas Award winners, exemplifies our mission and values on a daily basis as she goes about her work in our customer service department.
 
Caring:  “From the first time I met Cara,” shared one of her teammates, “I could tell that she was a young lady with a loving heart. When she talks, you can hear and see in her face the love she has for both her family and her work family. Whenever there’s a special event or someone is feeling down, she always wants to be there for that person, doing something for them to make their day brighter.
 
Another nominating teammate explained, “Cara has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know. She goes out of her way to help others.”
 
Selfless:  If Cara Hammonds is consistent at anything, it’s selflessness. According to one of her teammates, “Cara exhibits selflessness on a daily basis. She is one to make you laugh, just being herself. Cara always wants to help out in any way possible—it can be just listening to a coworker or donating money to a cause. You can definitely tell when she’s not there, because her positivity and personality is so missed. Another teammate shared how Cara is continuously putting others first:  “Cara is always giving to others. She loves to see others happy and will do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
 
Humble:  Cara is a very humble person, according to those who know her best. “She goes about her day helping everyone on her team and everyone she encounters,” shared a colleague. “Cara always has others’ best interests at heart. Whenever something impacts her personal life, her first thought is always her team, not wanting to let them down or put more of a burden on them.”
 
Encouraging:  Positivity rules the day when Cara Hammonds is involved. “Cara exhibits the same outlook day-in, day-out,” shared a friend at HealthKeeperz. “When there’s an idea for an event, she says ‘come on, y’all, that sounds fun!’ in her southern twang. Cara enjoys bringing the team together, not only in her own department, but the whole building.” And another teammate pointed out that “Cara is the most encouraging person you’ll ever meet. She has the most bubbly personality and knows how to brighten everyone’s day. There are no bad days around Cara—she inspires everyone she meets.”
 
People like Cara Hammonds, who exemplify the power of positivity and putting others first, are the reason we have a special company at HealthKeeperz. Our work can be very tough on everyone involved, caregivers, families, and patients alike. It takes special people like Cara Hammonds to set the example, challenging all of us to give our best as we care for all for the glory of God each day.
 
Stay tuned to learn more about our other previous Barnabas Award winners in the coming months.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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