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CELEBRATE EXCELLENT CARE

Inspiring others by the way he lives his life

Recognizing Julio Jaimes
November 13, 2017

Every year, Ann Marie Lasky and her family look forward to their summer vacation in Bethany Beach. This summer, they left their home in Pennsylvania with excitement and anticipation of their week-long stay in Delaware. The long-range weather forecast was excellent, and they couldn't wait to get to the beach!

The first two days were relaxing – beautiful weather, waves and fun on the beach. On Monday, after a swim in the ocean, Ann Marie decided to play a little ball game on the shore with her children and grandchildren. As she recalls, "I lunged for a low ball, and heard a pop; next thing I knew I was on the ground with excruciating pain in my leg. I couldn't get up, and I definitely could not walk.

"My children quickly summoned the lifeguards," Ann Marie remembers, "and they did the initial triage. They were adamant that I immediately go for an x-ray of my leg and recommended the Emergency Department at Beebe, which was about 25 minutes away in Lewes. My vacation, at least for the moment, had come to a screeching halt!

"When we arrived at the Emergency Department, I was put in a wheelchair and quickly taken to the registration desk. And this is where my story really begins," says Ann Marie. "A calm young man named Julio met me in the Emergency Department and registered me. I remember him so well. He was really the first person that I spoke with at length, and he made quite an impression on me. His voice was so calming and friendly. He was caring, compassionate, kind, and he had a great sense of humor. He was able to immediately develop a warm rapport with me and made me feel welcome – like I was the only person in the world that mattered to him at the time. Treating me with such dignity and respect, and creating an unbelievable patient experience for me, were just two of the many reasons I wanted to nominate Julio Jaimes for the Celebrating Excellent Care Program at Beebe." 

Julio was born and raised in El Salvador, but he has lived in Delaware for about 20 years. He has been a registrar at Beebe's Emergency Department for four years. Prior to coming to Beebe, he worked in the restaurant industry and had hoped one day to own his own restaurant business. However, a car accident in 2012 put an end to his dream, but it did not hamper his spirit. "My mantra," Julio says, "is always be successful in life, in whatever you decide to do." So he found his way to Beebe and was given a chance to prove himself in the healthcare arena. "Working at Beebe has been the best thing that ever happened in my life," he says. "I am so grateful to my manager, Linda Yekenchik, for believing in me to do the job."

Yekenchik says, "Julio is a pleasure to work with and has been a tremendous asset to Beebe. He possesses compassion and strong interpersonal competence in his day-to-day interactions with both patients and co-workers." In fact, anyone who has worked with Julio Jaimes will know about his love for people, his commitment to teamwork, and his extraordinary ability to build relationships.

"The role of the registrar is important, and tough," Julio says. "It's critical that you always have a smile on your face. Patients are the most important thing in your life once you are behind that registration desk, and no matter how tough your own day is going, you have an important job to do." Julio says being in the registrar position has given him a chance to touch the lives of other people. He enjoys meeting people from all walks of life and says, "Not only do I like making an impact on others, but every person I meet makes an impact on me. I want to help my community, and I want to be an advocate for the patient and their family. Being in this role allows me to do that."

Since working at Beebe, Julio has found time to take classes to enrich his career. In 2015, he qualified as a Certified Healthcare Access Associate, and he has a Certificate in Healthcare Interpretation. He was promoted to Registrar II at Beebe Hospital, and is also on track toward becoming a member of the International Medical Interpreters Association.

Julio, as the youngest child of three, remembers when he was in second grade his parents could not afford to buy him a uniform or new shoes. By age 8, he understood that his parents were doing the very best they could, and it was their love, support and the values they instilled that he cherishes to this day. "My parents inspired me,” he said. “They inspired me to be the very best I could be in life, and I try hard every day to live up to those values."

Raising three children of his own – Dilon, 4; Brandon, 8; and Alex, 12 – is the greatest joy in Julio's life. To make a better life for them, his days are busy. He works as a full-time registrar and part time as a patient safety attendant. When asked what his proudest moment in life was, he said, "It was the day my 12-year-old son told me I was his inspiration in life. I am so proud of Alex and the young man he is becoming." Julio works hard to make family his priority; he is very involved in their sports activities, finding new places to eat, and taking them on day trips when he is able. Julio is also very involved in community work, which includes being a volunteer soccer coach at the Indian River Soccer Club, serving as a disaster volunteer for Delaware Medical Reserve Corps and offering interpreter services for Beebe Healthcare and the DMRC.

"Working with people comes very natural to me," says Julio. "I want to treat people just like I would want them to treat me. I want to make a difference, and make a positive impact on others. It's just that simple."

And making a positive impact on Ann Marie Lasky is exactly what Julio did. "I want to thank Beebe, Julio and the wonderful staff in the Emergency Department for their excellent care and concern for me as a patient," says Ann Marie. "When you are far from home and don't know anyone, and something like this happens, it's a bit scary. Julio calmed my fears, reduced my anxiety and made me feel so special – it made all the difference in the world to me."

For more information about Beebe Healthcare's Values and how Beebe team members live those values every day, go to www.beebehealthcare.org/our-values. For more information about Beebe's Celebrate Excellent Care program and how to support Beebe Healthcare, the local nonprofit community healthcare system, contact the Beebe Medical Foundation at 302-644-2900.

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