SPIRIT of Excellence Award: Patient Support Services Professional of the Year
Each year, Spirit of Excellence Awards are presented by our parent company, Amedisys, to select employees who demonstrate exceptional caregiving support to the field and display Amedisys’ core values, which include service, passion, integrity, respect, innovation and talent.
Our 2024 Patient Support Services Professional of the Year was presented to Taylor Spencer, a Care Partner supporting our Virtual Care Unit (VCU). Here are some of the wonderful things Taylor’s colleagues said about him in their nominations in support of him:
We are proud to spotlight Taylor’s achievements in this role, and we asked him to share a little more about himself and his day-to-day work as a Care Partner.
Can you share a little about your professional background?
I started my healthcare journey as a firefighter and first responder at the age of 16. At 18 I started working in a Level I Trauma ER and worked there for six years. I also worked in the lab as a Compliance Specialist and at a pediatric clinic. I have been in my current role with Contessa for two and a half years.
Can you describe your role at Contessa and what drew you to this job?
As a Care Partner, I have many duties on a day-to-day basis. I assist with tasks to help the patient such as setting up referrals for physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), hospice, and more. I help set up lab work and radiology exams in the patients’ homes, get their medications delivered to their home and track data for escalations, admissions, discharges and hospice admits.
I was drawn to this company and position because I wanted to be able to continue to assist in caring for patients while working from home, and to continue to grow in my healthcare career.
Tell us about life outside of work!
My partner Dusty and I love going on cruises together. Our favorite so far has been our trip to the Dominican and Grand Turk. We love gorgeous beaches. Our most recent vacation was one of our favorites as well—we went to the Bahamas, had a great time and made tons of new friends.
We have five beautiful dogs that are our entire life, and they all have their own personalities.
Eleven is our smallest girl, a Pitbull chihuahua mix. She is the most energetic and loving dog ever. Little Mama is a 100lb red-nose Pitbull and the mom of Eleven. Although she has a rough past, she is so gentle and sweet. Annie and Oakley are our boy/girl twins that are Lab/Great Dane/Dalmation mixes. They have polar opposite personalities. Oakley is laid back and has no cares in the world, but his sister Annie is wild and loves playing and running as fast as she can. Finally, Piper, the baby of the bunch, is a blue-nose Pitbull. She is the protector of the house by nature but is also so loving and loves giving a lot of kisses and getting belly rubs.
What are some words of wisdom that you live by?
“Treat others the way that you want to be treated.”
Thanks, Taylor, for sharing your talents and passion for caregiving with your patients, their families and the Contessa team! We are grateful for the care and attention you and other Care Partners like you contribute to advancing healthcare at home.