Home > Hospital Celebrates Retiree

Twenty eights years ago, Gerrie Lees walked through the doors of Delano Regional Medical Center as a new employee. A single mother of three young sons, this was her first job. Recently, the hospital held a retirement celebration honoring Gerrie where there were many tears, lots of laughter and twenty-eight years of reminiscing.

As an Environmental Services Aide, Gerrie's career began in the skilled nursing unit and later expanded her responsibilities to taking care of patient rooms in other units of the hospital. "Gerrie did more than make sure that the patient’s room was clean and sanitary, she always thought of the patient who was in the room and treated them with care and respect," said Jimmy Ojeda, Environmental Services Coordinator.

When asked to share one memorable moment, she told of the time in her life where her sons were grown, starting lives of their own, with one son in the Army...life was changing for her. One day she went home on her lunch break and received a phone call from work. They needed her back quickly…there had been a leak in the small kitchen on the unit; for patient safety purposes it needed to be cleaned right away. She immediately came back to work, picked up her chemicals, cleaning implements and opened the door to the small kitchen. To her surprise, her son from the Army was standing there with the staff and patients applauding.

DRMC became Gerrie's second home and second family.

According to Bahram Ghaffari, Executive Director, "Gerrie is a true picture of our employees…committed to their job and dedicated to the hospital and our community. I personally will miss her cheery greeting each time we passed in the hospital."