Two in a Row: DOM Staffers Recognized With U-Team “Member of the Month” Awards

Margaret Kuhlman, a coordinator for the Internal Medicine Residency program, and Sarah Creef-Bauger, the top administrator for two DOM divisions, were selected as “UTeam Member of the Month” for July and August, respectively. The award program recognizes outstanding service exemplifying a commitment to the UVA Health System’s “ASPIRE” values (see right).

Margaret Kuhlman, who won the award for July, joined DOM’s education administration group three years ago, when she and her husband Greg moved here from Cincinnati for Greg’s neurology residency at UVA. Margaret’s duties include coordinating the inpatient and outpatient service schedules for DOM’s 100 internal medicine residents and 70-plus clinical fellows — a task which involves working closely with clinical support administrators and subspecialty program coordinators to ensure scheduling issues are quickly resolved.

Margaret in her motorscooter gear (she rides a scooter to work everyday).

Margaret’s consistent focus, says her supervisor and nominator Terry Bennett, is to make sure that trainees have the best possible learning environment, and that patients are able to see their resident PCP in as timely a manner as possible. She “anticipates outcomes and proactively prepares in order to avoid any pitfalls. She is the epitome of a team player,” according to Terry.

“She has a disarming and thoroughly wonderful professional demeanor. She gets her job done perfectly without sacrificing treating others with immense kindness and respect.
– Department of Medicine colleague

Sarah Creef-Baugher, the August UTeam awardee, is a Waynesboro native and George Mason grad who has worked as the division administrator (DA) for DOM’s Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism since 2012. For several years, she was also the DA for another big division, Infectious Diseases; currently she has the Division of Rheumatology in her administrative portfolio, along with Endocrinology. Before joining DOM, Sarah worked in the UVA Cancer Center, the Department of Pediatrics, and for the SOM Office of Grants & Contracts, and she brings that breadth of experience to her work with both divisions. But although Endocrinology and Rheumatology are her main responsibilities, they are not her sole focus.

One of her strengths, says nominator and DOM COO Russ Manley, is that she cares about the performance of the entire DOM administrative team: “She takes time to reach out to other team members to ask how she can help or to offer solutions.” Sarah has taken it upon herself to learn both internal and external business and research support tools, such as UVA’s UBI (“University Business Intelligence”) system for enterprise reporting, or the NIH’s eRA Commons program, an online interface for managing and tracking grant applications and awards — and then shares that knowledge with others.

“Sarah is an outstanding and key contributor to the Department of Medicine’s  performance on all mission fronts, and models exceptional accountability and stewardship.”
– Nominator Russ Manley

Congratulations, Sarah and Margaret!

Sarah, center, with DOM COO Russ Manley (left) and Endocrinology division chief Zhenqi Liu (right).

UVA Health System’s “ASPIRE” Values

“At UVA Health System, the patient is at the center of everything we do. We ASPIRE to create a culture of trust, respect and engagement through our values:

• Accountability: Acknowledging and assuming responsibility for where we have succeeded and failed in terms of our actions, decisions, policies and results
• Stewardship: Responsibly and carefully managing our resources and commitment to continual improvement and learning while acknowledging shortcomings or problems in our quest
• Professionalism: Approaching all that we do, in a collaborative way, to deliver excellent care through the lens of helpfulness, positivity, kindness and competency
• Integrity: Being honest, open and fair through our behaviors, attitude and treatment of others
• Respect: Being mindful of building a diverse and inclusive environment while showing compassion for everyone through our caring and intentional ways
• Excellence: Conducting ourselves in a manner that surpasses ordinary standards through our preparation, collaboration and proactivity in all that we do.”