Oftentimes, it’s the simplest of gestures that make the difference in health care. In the case of Abigail Middlemiss, CA, her difference comes in the form of a smile that brightens even the darkest of days for patients and colleagues alike.

She works on a floor that includes patients fighting cancer. It is challenging work that brings on a roller coaster of emotions. A positive mindset means the world to everyone who comes in contact with Middlemiss.

“Abby walks on to the unit with the brightest smile. And it’s a smile that is contagious,” Elizabeth Trudeau, BSN, RN explains. “In the hospital setting, I feel as though this is crucial to creating a positive and comfortable atmosphere that enhances patient care and the patient experience.”

That is one of the reasons Trudeau nominated Middlemiss for the BEE Award at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital. Middlemiss received the honor during a surprise ceremony with her co-workers at the hospital this week.

In her nomination, Trudeau also points to her beloved co-worker’s tremendous dedication to teamwork. One busy shift in particular sticks out to Trudeau. While she was in a room with one patient, another patient in a second room urgently needed to use the restroom but needed help getting there. Middlemiss instantly jumped in, wanting to make sure that second patient did not have to wait. Trudeau also noticed her answering call bells to assist staff members with other patients throughout the shift.

“This is what you get every day with Abby. She goes out of her way to help all patients, nurses and other staff members,” Trudeau writes.

“All the patients on the floor are her patients, not just the ones she’s assigned to,” Mia Biondolillo, RN, adds in her nomination of Middlemiss. “You can always count on her for a helping hand.”

Biondolillo describes Middlemiss as someone who is always on the move, never missing a moment to ask a patient or a colleague what she can do to make their day better or job easier.

“She is always asking the other clinical assistants what she can do to help them. And she is always running to help any patient that calls out,” Biondolillo says.

Consistency and compassion – two of the many reasons Middlemiss stands out as the hospital’s sixth recipient of the BEE Award. During the award presentation, she was presented with a certificate commending her for her extraordinary work. She, like all honorees, also received a BEE Award pin, a beautiful and meaningful sculpture and a basket filled with bee-themed gifts.

All employees who support patient care by working together with physicians and registered nurses to improve the physical, emotional and spiritual health of patients and their loved ones are eligible for the BEE Award. Support staff may be nominated by patients, families and colleagues. A committee reviews nominations and awards a deserving employee each quarter.