Honoring a GBMC Legend: Ms. Maureen Riley

Ms. Maureen Riley, a high-profile cleaning tech at GBMC, has become somewhat of a legend within (and beyond) our Environmental Services team. For more than two decades, Ms. Maureen has served on Unit 58 (Joint and Spine) and in June, she will be retiring. It’s hard to put into words how much her presence at GBMC will be missed.  

Ms. Maureen embodies the spirit of GBMC HealthCare. When I mentioned I wanted to feature Ms. Maureen in a blog post, many of her colleagues eagerly jumped at the opportunity to sing her praises and talk about the impact she’s had on them and others. In speaking to them, the same words describing Ms. Maureen came up each time: hardworking and committed; uplifting, warm, and welcoming; caring and considerate; focused, detail-oriented, and forward-thinking; a mentor. 

One thing that stands out to me (and everyone who knows her) is Ms. Maureen’s ability to lift your spirit just by being in the room. There have been many times throughout my 14 years at GBMC when I have been stressed, run into her, and after seeing her smile and positive demeanor, felt immediately better. She always seems to be in the right place at the right time. 

In terms of her work ethic – it's unmatched. She takes pride in her work, has high standards, and brings the same high level of energy and positivity to work every day. She’s constantly on the go, helping in other parts of the hospital when work on her unit is complete. Her colleagues tell me that she goes above and beyond her role, happily completing tasks outside of her scope of work. Prior to leaving for vacation, she thinks ahead and makes sure her coworkers have all they need for a comfortable work environment while she’s away. She remembers personal details about her coworkers and patients she serves on the units. She sings to patients; when she sees they are down, she will pray with them. 

Incredibly, in addition to working full-time at GBMC, she works full-time at Sheppard Pratt as well, and she brings the same energy, passion, and positivity to both places, without fail. 

Dr. Jamie Johnston, one of our orthopedic surgeons, and his wife Kristy, hosted a retirement party at their home in honor of Ms. Maureen last weekend. I was honored to be one of the 85 people in attendance, along with others across all departments and roles at GBMC as well as Ms. Maureen’s mother, father, children, and grandchild. What an amazing celebration of an amazing woman! I enjoyed meeting her family and seeing her dedication to them. It was also awe-inspiring to see how many colleagues across GBMC came to share well-wishes – people often use the term “work family,” and this event brought that concept to life. 

Ms. Maureen is a role model in so many ways. Please join me in congratulating her on her well-deserved retirement. We will miss her at GBMC! 

Thanks to all those who kindly shared their reflections of Ms. Maureen for today’s blog, including Sodexo managers Tonya Brown and Derick McCallum; Bridgette White, Administrative Assistant – Sodexo; Joy Reynolds, RN, Nurse Manager – Unit 58; and April Asuncion Higgins, BSN, RN, CMSRN, Clinical Program Manager – Joint and Spine.  

Congratulations to our Chief Nursing Officer, Angie Feurer! 

This week, our Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Angie Feurer, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree! In addition to achieving this major accomplishment, she also received the Outstanding DNP Scholarship Award from the University of Maryland School of Nursing for her DNP project at DNP Poster Day on May 10. I am so proud to be associated with Angie. We are extremely fortunate for her leadership and advocacy of our nursing program. 

Happy Hospital Week!

In honor of National Hospital Week, I want to thank all GBMC HealthCare staff for being committed to the health and safety of our community. Every member of our workforce plays a critical role in moving us toward our vision of treating every patient, every time with the care we would want for our own loved ones.