John Hampton, a supervisor at Phelps Hospital Northwell Health, received the Patriotic Employer Award at a recent ceremony at Phelps Hospital. This award is for his on-going support for one of his staff members, Eddy Cruz, as Eddy serves the country in the National Guard. John and Eddy work in the Histology and Cytology Department where they prepare tissue samples for proper diagnosis. Approximately 20 people were in attendance, including Dan Blum, President and CEO of Phelps, as well as members of both Eddy Cruz’ and John Hampton’s family.
Eddy joined Phelps in October of 2018. He has served in the New York Army National Guard for 8 years. Eddy is a former Military Police Sergeant and a veteran from the Operation Enduring Freedom in which he performed as a Military Police guard in Guantanamo Bay. In order to complete his military responsibilities, Eddy periodically needs to leave his job at Phelps for a month at a time. John said, “This takes some strategic planning on my part in regards to staffing but I do it gladly. Eddy’s absence is noticeable since he is an outstanding tech but we make it work.”
Dan Blum said, “We are so grateful for the service Eddy has given our country, our community and Phelps Hospital. John understands this sacrifice and also understands that it makes us all work better as a team which translates into better patient care.”
Eddy said, “The Patriotic Award by the Employee Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is important to me because it is an opportunity to demonstrate my gratitude for the ongoing support from my employer[s]”.
Left to right: Helen Renck, Dan Blum, Carol Pileggi, Eddy Cruz, John Hampton, Mary Mc Dermott. Photo credit: Gabby Richards/JGTPR
