Citizens Memorial Hospital | Vitality | Spring 2021

Health care hero spotlight: Christine Legg, R.N. Although the pandemic changed how we operate and provide care, our exceptional health care heroes at Citizens Memorial Hospital (CMH) and Citizens Memorial Health Care Foundation are continuing to work together to make a difference every day. “A career at Citizens Memorial isn’t just about coming to work; it is about taking care of our patients and their families in the communities where we live and serve and being there for our co-workers,” says Jeremy MacLaughlin, CMH director of Human Resources. “This culture was carefully created by incorporating our mission, vision and core values into everything we do.” One of those health care heroes is Christine Legg, R.N., who began her nursing career in 2012 by earning a nursing degree from Lebanon Technology & Career Center, Lebanon, and her R.N. credential from Ozarks Technical Community College, Springfield, in 2019. Legg has 13 years of resident care experience and was previously the staff development coordinator at Colonial Springs Healthcare Center, Buffalo, one of seven long-term care facilities owned and operated by CMH Foundation. Legg was promoted to director of nursing at Colonial Springs in 2020. According to Legg, she was able to achieve the greatest of her professional accomplishments because of the support of the CMH Foundation Medical Excellence Scholarship. Established in 1990, the CMH Foundation Medical Excellence Scholarship was designed to help individuals in our service area achieve their dreams of working in a career in health care. TEAMWORK AND SUPPORT When asked what her favorite part of working at Colonial Springs is, Legg says it is the supportive attitudes of her co- workers and the teamwork atmosphere. “There is an overall attitude that you are not alone. There is a huge network of people that support you both in your facility and outside at the hospital and CMH clinics,” she says. Even during the ups and downs due to COVID-19, Legg says that a “good team atmosphere of support has kept things going.” “I’ve noticed a change in myself just in being a part of CMH,” Legg says. “Teamwork mentality and CMH pride is something that we live day in and day out—not just in work, but in life as well.” CMH TEAM Legg says that CMH really supports you as a person. “They are always working to ensure you have what you need and looking to help you further and better yourself,” Legg says. “CMH really cares about you as an individual.” BENEFITS FOR OURTEAMMEMBERS CMH offers an employee health plan that includes vision and prescription drug coverage and a wellness program to help employees reduce stress, stop smoking, lose weight or improve their healthy lifestyle habits. CMH also provides employer-paid term life insurance and paid time off. CMH automatically contributes money to employees’ retirement accounts each year in addition to providing a more traditional matched savings plan. In order to keep investments current, co-workers have personal access to investment advisers at no cost. Although many things have changed in the last 12 months because of the pandemic, CMH co-workers continue to be passionate about helping people. From our medical staff to our support teams, our co-workers are making a difference in the lives of our patients and residents every day. FOR MORE INFORMATION about the CMH Foundation Medical Excellence Scholarship program or to apply for a career at CMH, call 417-328-6509 or apply online at citizensmemorial.com . citizensmemorial.com 15