Congratulations to Evija (Evie) Bekere who is a Podiatry inpatient assistant at Eastbourne DGH, for winning a Hero of the Month award.
Colleague Ellie Reeder who nominated Evija said:
“Evie goes above and beyond in her role as Podiatry inpatient assistant. She is an asset to our team and truly a delight to work with. She is the first one in and last to leave down at Eastbourne DGH Area D Podiatry department.
“Evie is a staple in keeping our Podiatry clinics running, the Foot Protection clinic, the Diabetic foot clinics and the inpatient podiatry rounds. Evies main role is as an assistant in the above clinics, but she also runs a productive and successful Foot screening inpatient service and nailcare service, for patients admitted within EDGH, and can see 10 or more patients a day, 5 days a week and risk assess their feet in terms of diabetic foot ulcer prevention.
“During these rounds, she advocates for patients in preventing pressure sores, ensuring they are wearing appropriate stockings, if medically indicated, is often the first person to assess patients feet during their admission, and provides nail care, usually with added feet washing and moisturising on her rounds. She works hard, daily.
“Evie also is paramount in ensuring we as Podiatrists have the stock and equipment we need in order to run our clinics effectively, safely and efficiently. Evie makes time in her role to help rotate, order and organise stock within our clinics. She also helps identify issues with equipment and report these.
“During Diabetic foot clinics, which are infamous for being busy and full on clinics, knowing Evie is one of two assistants alongside us, gives you instant peace of mind as you know she will help anyway she can, and just makes the day so much smoother and organised.
“Recently, Evie saw a patient who was in the process of being fast tracked discharged to a nursing home, and she did a final visit with them in the discharge lounge to do a final check.
“The patient had had unknown trauma to the foot that morning and sustained a skin tear to their foot, which had not been noticed and on her seeing them, had bled all over their foot and bed sheet. Evie alerted the ward to this and assisted in cleaning the patient up and dressing the foot, and then organised for a podiatrist to visit the nursing home the following day. I was the podiatrist who visited, and the patient was incredibly grateful for the time and care evie had put in to tidy them and their foot up the day prior.
“Evie truly is an asset to our podiatry team and I feel she should be celebrated for her hard work, dedication, kindness and how she goes above and beyond for both patients, and her colleagues.
“It is a gift to our team to have her with us.”
Evie was presented with a certificate and voucher by Chair Steve Phoenix.