10 VITALITY Summer 2022 CMH EMPLOYEES Meet the mother and daughter who have a heart for health care Longtime Citizens Memorial (CMH) employees and mother-daughter nursing duo Mendy Manes, LPN, and Meleah Johnson, CNA, are well-known for the exceptional care they provide every day. “I think nursing is really about how much you can help people and care for people,” says Manes, a licensed practical nurse with Citizens Memorial Home Care Services in Bolivar. Collectively, Manes and Johnson have more than 50 years of dedication to patient care, with all but three of those years at CMH. They both have a heart for caring for their patients, residents and families. “Whatever little things it is you can do, you just do it for them to make their day,” says Johnson, a certified nursing assistant with Citizens Memorial Healthcare Facility (CMHCF) in Bolivar. It’s these small details in the care that both mother and daughter provide at CMH that make a huge difference in their patients’ lives. When asked what inspires them to be so dedicated, Manes replies: “I want to do better for them [the patients] each day. I want to make sure they are taken care of and make sure they have what they need—and if not, try to go find it.” Both mom and daughter have received nursing awards for the exceptional care they consistently give to their patients and residents at CMH. PAVINGTHEWAY Manes has been a nurse for 31 years, with the majority of her nursing career being at CMH—only leaving for a quick stint as a school nurse for three years. Most recently, she has worked for CMH Home Care Services for 11 years. She says the residents and patients are her “favorite thing” about being a nurse and are what drew her into nursing. “I love interacting with people and caring for them,” Manes says. “Taking care of people—it just makes you feel good.” Through this exceptional care, Manes has touched countless lives. One of the families of a patient she cared for was so moved by her care that they nominated her for the DAISY Award, which Manes received in November 2019. The DAISY Award is an international recognition program that honors outstanding nurses. “I was just flabbergasted when I got my award. Just very humbled and honored,” she says. How did it feel for Manes to see her daughter, Meleah, follow in her footsteps and go into the nursing field? “When she wanted to be a CNA, I just told her she was going to do so well,” Manes says. “Wherever she went, whatever she did, she would do good—she is a loving, caring person.” Nursing is a family bond
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