Sheryl Darling Awarded ‘Heroes’ Award from IHA
Iowa Hospital Association Recognizes Those Who Go Above and Beyond
Palo Alto County Health Systems’ Sheryl Darling, was one of ten outstanding Iowa hospital employees, and one volunteer, that were honored October 9 at the 79th Iowa Hospital Association Annual Meeting as “Iowa Hospital Heroes.”
Sheryl Darling, EMS Coordinator at Palo Alto County Health System was awarded the Iowa Hospital Association's Hero Award. Pictured (L to R) Tom Lee, FACHE, Administrator and CEO of Palo Alto County Health System, Sheryl Darling, EMT-P, IHA Hero Award Recipient, and Rick Seidler, IHA Board chair and CEO at Allen Health System in Waterloo
The Iowa Hospital Heroes Awards program was created last year to recognize hospital employees who have performed a heroic act or tirelessly given their time, talent or expertise to better their hospital, patients or community, with measurable results. These everyday heroes are the role models for Iowa’s 71,000 hospital employees and the communities they serve.
Sheryl was nominated for the award by co-workers, who sent a letter to the Iowa Hospital Association (IHA), listing her tireless efforts and dedication to her job and her community.
On the Palo Alto County Hospital’s organizational chart, Sheryl Darling is listed as the coordinator for emergency medical services (EMS), but that in no way describes all of the things Sheryl does for the hospital and the community.
It is not unusual in a rural hospital and health system for staff to wear many hats, and Sheryl does this with over-the-top dedication to every responsibility and project. In addition to her EMS duties, Sheryl divides her time as an emergency medical technician-paramedic (EMT-P) while supervising two other full-time EMT-Ps. Sheryl routinely helps in the emergency room while taking more than her share of emergency calls. Sheryl is consistently the one who will volunteer to take a transfer when no one else can be found.
In Palo Alto County, there are four ambulance services staffed by paid volunteers who are supervised by Sheryl. This requires Sheryl to attend evening and weekend meetings to accommodate their time off from their regular jobs. Sheryl teaches EMT students at Iowa Lakes Community College, where she instructs students on Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. She has taken the medical examiners course and is able to support the hospital’s physician in that capacity. Sheryl volunteers her time to help with the regional fire school and takes ambulance duty at football games and wrestling meets.
When someone was needed to coordinate the placement of automated external defibrillators in all the county’s schools, law enforcement vehicles and senior centers, Sheryl took the reins and was successful in obtaining grant money and matching funds to complete the project.
Sheryl Darling’s strong leadership and coaching skills, along with her extraordinary dedication, helps the ambulance crews grow and want to be better. Without Sheryl giving 150%, our hospital and community would not be as safe and well served as they are today.
“IHA is proud to recognize and honor the caring work of these exceptional hospital employees,” said IHA Board Chair Jay Christensen, CEO of Mahaska Health Partnership in Oskaloosa. “The compassion and dedication of Iowa’s hospital employees is well known. So when a group like this is shown to rise even higher, it is well worth applauding.”
The Iowa Hospital Association is a voluntary membership organization representing hospital and health system interests to business, government and consumer audiences. All of Iowa’s 117 community hospitals are IHA members.