FirstHealth of the Carolinas is proud to recognize Josh Ellis, a medical laboratory technician at the Moore Regional Hospital-Pinehurst blood bank, as the most recent winner of FirstHealth’s BEE Award.

The BEE Award recognizes employees who go above and beyond to show compassion and extraordinary service, fulfilling the system’s core purpose – To Care for People.

As an MLT, Ellis performs critical tests to ensure safe blood transfusion, as well as manages inventory, maintains equipment and prepares components such as red blood cells, plasma, cryoprecipitate and platelets.

A nurse manager from the critical care unit nominated Ellis for his rapid response to a request for blood for a critical care patient.

“Less than five minutes after we made the request, Josh called and notified the RN that he was able to assist and would get two units of blood cross-matched and prepare a 4-hour cooler for the blood to be transported in,” the manager said in the nomination. “In less than an hour, Josh had the blood and cooler ready for our team. This timely preparation allowed our team to prevent any transport delays. Our team was able to complete this transport and 3-hour radiation treatment with peace of mind that if a bleeding event occurred while out of the inpatient unit and hospital, they could promptly provide the patient with a transfusion and prevent patient deterioration.”

According to Stephanie Ladner, assistant lab director for the blood bank, Ellis is no stranger to being recognized for his outstanding work.

“I am not surprised Josh has been recognized for his exceptional work in the blood bank for a second time,” she said in a press release. “He was previously recognized for his work in a trauma event three years ago. Josh is known for innovating smarter, more efficient ways to work while never compromising patient safety, quality or outcomes. His ability to improve processes while maintaining the highest standards of care makes him an invaluable blood bank team member.”