Elizabeth Green, LPN, has been named Regional Caregiver of the Year by Maxim Healthcare Group, a national provider of home healthcare, companion and behavioral care, healthcare staffing, and workforce solutions.
The North Brunswick resident was recognized for her compassion and commitment to Anthony DeVergillo, a 27-year-old living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness, according to information provided by Maxim.
Green was also a finalist for Maxim’s John “Doc” Langley National Caregiver of the Year Award, which was presented during a virtual ceremony on December 1.
Green has been caring for DeVergillo for the last nine years and the two have formed a strong bond. He says she amazes him with not only her exceptional nursing skills, but her motivating attitude and enduring friendship, according to the statement.
“Liz understands the physical, social, and emotional care I require even without me needing to tell her,” DeVergillo said in the statement. “I do not feel like a patient with her – I feel like a person who has attainable hopes and dreams not defined by my disease.”
One story highlights the positive impact Green has had on DeVergillo. In 2014, she was assisting him while at community college.
“I was very shy and not strong-willed enough to truly advocate for my needs,” he said in the statement. DeVergillo asked Green to speak to the front desk on his behalf and ask for directions to his classroom. “Her response to me was, ‘I think you should ask them yourself.’”
That one simple statement was a turning point for DeVergillo; it gave him the courage to speak for himself and helped him to avoid complacency, according to the statement.
“From that day on, I slowly but surely began to come out of my shell and my social fears dissipated,” he said in the statement.
Green wouldn’t let him forget that his disability was merely physical, and there was no reason to let it affect his social identity.
DeVergillo credits Green with motivating him to have a meaningful college experience, allowing him to go on and have a successful career in communications and advocacy at a rare disease pharmaceutical company, according to the statement.
She helps ensure that DeVergillo is able to live a full life despite having a disability. She recognizes the importance of having strong mental and emotional well-being and works to help him maintain his independence whenever possible, according to the statement.
Green is known among her colleagues for her empathy, adaptability, work ethic and teamwork, among many other qualities.
“Liz is a reliable caregiver. In her nine years of working with her patient, she has not called out of her shift once,” Bernard Suchocki, operations manager at Maxim Healthcare Services, said in the statement. “She consistently provides exceptional care. She is kind and it’s a pleasure to work with her.”
A panel of judges selected Green and three other regional winners from hundreds of nominations across the country. Now in its ninth year, the Caregiver of the Year Award program celebrates nurses and home healthcare aides for the key roles they play in delivering quality, patient-centered care to some of the nation’s most medically fragile and chronically ill patients. This year, the prized award was renamed the John “Doc” Langley Caregiver of the Year Award in honor of the significant contributions that former Chief Medical Officer John “Doc” Langley has made over his 10-year career with Maxim.
For more information, visit https://youtu.be/dd8AkT_PjTg