Inessa Ustimovich is our latest Sunshine Award winner!

A program to recognize the extraordinary care and contributions of our non-licensed nursing support staff continues at UHS with Inessa Ustimovich, CNA, UHS Senior Living at Ideal, who was named the May winner of the Sunshine Program Award! Inessa received the Sunshine Award and a bouquet of sunflowers in recognition of his accomplishments and enjoyed cookies during the celebration.

The Senior Living at Ideal nursing assistant was nominated by a family member of a patient under her care. In the letter, the family member talked about their 81-year-old mother-in-law, who lived independently before post-operative complications left her bedridden and significantly reduced her mobility. The patient felt stressed and afraid when she arrived at Ideal for rehabilitation until she met Inessa, who gave her the emotional support she needed to begin her recovery. The nominator's mother-in-law referred to Inessa as "her angel" for showing her compassion and making her feel safe. When the patient got lonely in the evenings, Inessa was there for her and motivated her to push through her recovery, even when she was scared.

"Inessa built a relationship rooted in trust and empathy, and it was that trust that helped my mother-in-law take those first, crucial steps toward healing. With Inessa’s encouragement, she faced those fears and slowly began to reclaim her strength," said the nominating family member. "Today, my mother-in-law is still in rehab, but every day she improves. Her progress is due not only to physical rehabilitation but to the emotional support and compassionate care provided by Inessa. She gave her comfort when she was most afraid, dignity when she felt most vulnerable, and hope when it felt out of reach."

Thank you to Inessa for treating our patients with Compassion and Respect, a stellar example of our team living "The UHS Way!"

Patients, families, and colleagues are able to nominate any of our non-licensed support staff based on our UHS Values of Respect, Teamwork, Innovation, Trust, and especially Compassion. Nominations will be collected via paper - look for nomination kiosks and boxes at all UHS locations, via email at sunshine.awards@nyuhs.org, and electronically.

All nominees will be recognized, but each month, one nominee will be selected for a special recognition.