Wellness Works! Award Recipients

Wellness Works! Award Recipients

Stephanie Cerreta
Social Work

Stephanie Cerreta takes responsibility regarding her overall well being and health. She has held a commitment to a better quality of life as well as a healthier life. She does not sell herself short, no sir! Not even at employee group meetings when there is a full array of gourmet foods and delicatessens. She sticks to her guns and holds her will. During the day, she has been adhering to her diet plan by eating very healthy and eating on time. She has also been following up with an exercise plan after work. Results are definitely noticeable.

- Luz Ramirez

Gail Cooksey
Leukemia

I would like to nominate Gail Cooksey to receive the Wellness Works! Award.  Since the first of this year Gail has made a complete change in her lifestyle.  She has now adapted a
healthier life-style.  Not only is she making better food choices, but she is also exercising daily.  Since January she has lost a total of 16 pounds and 6 inches.  Gail keeps track daily of how many calories she takes in and how many she burns through exercise.  It all started with the Around the World Challenge and it continued.  She is a true example of how making healthy choices can be a big deal in her life.  She attends an aerobic class twice a week and has encouraged others in her workgroup to join in.  She gets compliments daily and she has inspired others in the area to make better choices in their own lives.  She has not reached her goal yet, but it's only a matter of time.  She also won a year membership to 24 hour fitness, which she utilizes during the week and weekends.  She has also challenged her family to a weight loss challenge.  All it took was making a few small changes in her life to inspire others that they can do it too!

- Michelle Linares

Latricia Magee
Revenue Billing

I would like to nominate my co-worker Latricia Magee (she is the support staff in our unit) because she is very efficient on my requests, friendly and polite. I have only known Ms. Magee since she joined IVU unit and she's been very cooperative and professional on a daily basis. She encourages everyone to be healthy, to do exercise and herself is an example of all that. I work for Revenue collections, in the IVU (insurance and verification unit) and I'm glad she's in our unit because she makes our day easier when we request eob's or whatever we need to request and she promptly has it for us.

- Carina Deaktor

Latricia Magee
Revenue Billing

My name is Lakeisha Piper and I am a fellow co-worker of Latricia Magee and would like to nominate her for the wellness award.

I have known Ms. Magee for years at work and outside of work, I have had the privilege to witness as well as participate in her many endeavors of becoming as healthy as possible.

When I first joined the Insurance Verification Unit (IVU) with Ms. Magee back in 2003 the first thing beside hello was would you like to join our departmental fitness group. After hearing the details and the length of time she planned to pursue this fitness thing, the expression on my face gave her the answer she needed which was no.  This did not discourage Ms. Magee at all, just as she explained to me for the next 2 months her and a group of our fellow co-workers took the stairs from the 14th floor to 1st and back up to the 14th floor everyday during their break for the next 2 months while also maintaining a balanced diet and drinking plenty water.

The thing that makes me most believe that Ms. Magee is the best recipient for the Wellness Award is her dedication to being involved in Aids Walks, Walks to fight Breast Cancer and a lot of the fitness programs that are offered her at MD Anderson.  She has also walked from work to home, which is approximately 20 miles twice a week for the last 4 weeks. She is the motivator and Wellness instructor for the entire Revenue Collections on the 17th. Her New Year’s resolution was she will not eat anymore fast food and despite my hard efforts to break her she is sticking to her goals. She’s truly my fitness idle and deserves to receive this award.

- Lakeisha Piper

Nina Martinez-Alvarez
Clinical Revenue/Reimbursement

I have worked with Nina Martinez for a little over 2 years.  Since then she has demonstrated nothing but encouragement and support to all of her co-workers to meet their personal weight loss goals.  After losing over 30 lbs herself thru the weight watchers program, she remains a true example of how one can put their mind to reaching a healthy lifestyle and ending in success.  She is truly my inspiration to reach my own personal goal.

- Monica Delvalle-Garza

Susan McJilton
Development Office

I would like to nominate Susan McJilton for the Wellness Works Award.
For starters, Susan has an award winning personality and is an encouraging colleague.  By choosing to eat healthier, she has loss a noticeable amount of weight, which has inspired others to get focused.  In addition to healthy food choices, Susan takes the stairs instead of the elevator, walks during her lunch hour, does minimal weight training, walks around her neighborhood with her husband Mike, and works out at Curves.  She is indeed a trooper and deserves to receive this special award after much determination in pursuit to a wellness way of life!

- Anonymous

Beverly Peeples
Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology

My supervisor, Beverly Peeples, of THNMO, has recently transformed herself into a healthy person by making lifestyle changes to promote healthy living. By increasing physical activity, dietary changes and a positive attitude for wellness, she's improved her health, both physically and mentally. She is a great example in our office and now has even created a support system for changing bad habits into good lifetime habits. I speak with her constantly for support and have decided and am currently working on making similar lifestyle changes. She is accessible to everyone to counsel and encourage them with her positive thoughts. She's an inspiration and should be proudly recognized for her efforts and achievements.

- Anne Meschwitz

Remonia Richardson
Genitourinary Medical Oncology - Research

I would like to nominate Ms. Remonia Richardson for the Wellness Works as she is truly a living example of healthy living.  She has made a conscientious effort to change her life style including eating habits and physical activity.  She is determined to go walking for at least 40 minutes every single day during her lunch hour and she has even been a motivating force for me as I join her in her walking routine.  She is so determined to go walking that even if she doesn't have a walking buddy for the day, she still goes on her own.  She is so determined !  She is looking great and you can tell she has lost weight.  Kuddos to her !

- Sandra Avantes

Orrin “OD” Stewart
Development Office

Forget your stale mental image of an accountant. OD is 6'3", 200 pounds, lively and light-hearted. At the age of 52, his good health and attitude are a testimony to lifelong fitness. He was 28 when his wake-up call came. He raced two small boys down the stairs and made it about 10 yards across the parking lot before collapsing. The next day he started jogging on his lunch hour with an older man (probably about 52) who turned out to be a marathoner.

Today he runs 3 to 4 miles on the MDACC track every workday, except on Thursdays when he teaches a class in the HMB using the "big ball" that helps with upper body strength. His other classes meet at 5:45 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. He credits daily exercise with helping him solve problems at work and home. He's married to Jackie, who is, he says, the "real athlete in the family".

You've also seen OD riding his recumbent bicycle the 20 miles to and from home. He recently ran into a coworker at the La Madeleine on Kirby, gave her a 10-minute head start, and was waiting at the corner of Holcombe and Main when she pulled up in her car. He has finished eight MS-150 races to Austin and the recent Tour de Houston, a 70-mile ride promoted by our fitness-conscious mayor.

OD Stewart is a huge role model to all of us who work with him and a huge supporter of the Development Office efforts to be fit.

- Susan Riddell

Shelia Thomas
Human Resources

I am nominating Shelia Thomas.  In the five years that I have worked with her, she never seems to shy away from her fitness goals.   She is in better shape in her 40's than I am in my 20's!   She always looks great.  Working next to her gives allows me the motivation to keep my own fitness goals in line and to eat healthier.   

- Christine Trobenter

Peggy Timmons
Human Resources

Peggy Timmons is the most health conscious person I know. Peggy is by all standards very thin, so she does not exude her healthy lifestyle for weight loss purposes, but to stay in tune with her body. She eats several small healthy meals per day. She eats the right combination such as almonds, walnuts, fresh fruits and vegetables and takes her vitamins. Sometimes her lunch consists of one half of a small sandwich and a little bowl of strawberries. She always makes a beeline to HMB to exercise for an hour 4 days a week.  If for some extraordinary reason she can't get over to HMB, she will walk the indoor track here at TMC.  She works hard at keeping her cholesterol, blood pressure and all of those age inspired health issues in check so that she can live long and happy to enjoy spending time with her two very active young granddaughters.  Peggy is my inspiration.

- Kaye Sutton

Anaida Vazquez
Patient Education Office

Anaida Vazquez, senior administrative assistant in the Patient Education Office, is a walking advertisement for Employee Health and Well-Being. In August 2004 she made a major commitment to her health by undergoing bariatric surgery and has lost 100 pounds. Even though her lifestyle changes haven’t been easy, her determination makes her a role model for her husband, four children and our department. She no longer has to take blood pressure medication, and she is able to participate in physical activities with her kids, like jumping rope, playing catch and volleyball. She is a true "Super Mom" to all of us. She tirelessly dedicates herself to her kids’ sports and activities, encouraging them to reach their own physical goals. And she cares for her "work family" by being a Wellness Champ for our office. Her makeover and strength is a constant reminder of how we can all maximize our true potential, and we are so proud of her accomplishments!

- Diane van Benschop