Eddy Zamora, physical therapy assistant at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Miami, located in Cutler Bay, has been named as the overall recipient of 2018 Outstanding Employee Achievement Award.
As one of only seven finalists out of more than 30,000 inpatient rehabilitation employees in the Encompass Health network, formerly HealthSouth, Zamora was honored recently at an awards gala in Birmingham, AL.
Award finalists were selected based on their performance in four areas: contributions to extraordinary patient experience, team spirit and cooperation, commitment to continuous quality improvement, and going above and beyond the call of duty. The process began with each of Encompass Health’s 130 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals honoring an employee of the year. Then, seven winners were named at the regional level.
“Mr. Zamora takes his time with each patient served and provides an excellent patient experience. Eddy is wonderful with reassuring the comfort level of each patient he works with,” said Luis Allende-Ruiz, CEO of Encompass Health Miami. “Eddy is always able to make patients and their loved ones feel comfortable, as well as motivated. When one of his patients was ready to give up, his wife said it was Eddy who convinced him to keep trying. Eddy sees beyond his patients’ illness, he sees the person they were before their rehabilitation and what they can achieve.”
Zamora goes above and beyond to assist his team with patient care. He stays behind on most days to make sure that all documentation is done appropriately, and that all equipment is cleaned and put away. As difficulty as therapy can be, he arrives with a smile on his face and explains to each patient the process of therapy and the level of care they will receive at Encompass Health Miami. Zamora embodies the company’s purpose by leading with empathy, and has been with the Company since he started as a student.
“Last year, Eddy was having lunch in the cafeteria when a staff member began to choke. Eddy immediately got up and began conducting the Heimlich maneuver on them,” Allende-Ruiz said. “During this crucial moment, Eddy stayed calm and proceeded to assist his colleague who was choking. He saved her life. If you ask Eddy about the event, he’d just tell you it was the right thing to do.”
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Miami is a 60-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital that provides a higher level of rehabilitation care to patients who are recovering from stroke and other neurological disorders, brain and spinal cord injury, amputations, orthopedic, cardiac and pulmonary conditions. Accredited by The Joint Commission, the hospital is located at 20601 Old Cutler Rd. and on the Web at www.encompasshealth.com/miamirehab.
