BRADFORD, PA / OLEAN, NY – Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) and Olean General Hospital (OGH), Kaleida Health facilities, are proud to announce the December 2024 Star Award winners. This month’s recipients were Kevin Waid, BRMC, and Blaire Christjohn, RT(R)(MRI), OGH.

Kevin Waid, an environmental services aide at BRMC, was recognized as the December 2024 BRMC Star Award winner. Kevin has been with the organization since 2015.

“Kevin is always ready to lend a helping hand and consistently goes the extra mile in everything he does. He approaches each day with a positive mindset and maintains that attitude, no matter the challenges he faces. His dedication and unwavering optimism are truly commendable, and he continuously sets a great example for others with his work ethic and can-do attitude,” read his nomination. “We are lucky to have him on our team!”

Blaire Christjohn is an MRI technologist who works in the radiology department. She started at OGH in 2010 and was recognized as the December 2024 OGH Star Award winner. 

Blaire was nominated by a patient who explained, “I’ve had bad experiences in the past and was really nervous about the MRI, but I didn’t tell the staff that I was worried. Blaire was so kind and personable. She explained everything so well and really put my fears at ease. It ended up being a wonderful experience—Blaire was fantastic!” This testimonial highlights Blaire’s unwavering commitment to providing exceptional patient care.

The Star Award is presented monthly to an employee who demonstrates outstanding performance and inspires the same in others. Staff are nominated for exceptional customer satisfaction, continuous performance improvement, teamwork, communication, ownership/accountability, and excellence through co-worker or patient nominations.

The following were also nominated for Star Awards at BRMC: Eileen Smith, patient access representative; and Nancy Phearsdorf, nutrition hostess. OGH nominees were: Steve Edel, patient access representative; Allison Friends, nurse assistant, Barb Haas, BSN, RN; Katelyn Sutter, RRT; and Mark Thornton, RN. Star award recipients receive a chamber of commerce gift certificate, additional paid time off, certificate of recognition, and the star award parking spot.