Safa Jafari Safa, Office of Communications, communications@aub.edu.lb
In a university-wide celebration, AUB held its annual ceremony celebrating AUB and AUBMC employees and honoring long and excellent service. In the presence of upper administration, AUB staff, Workers and Staff Syndicate members, and proud family and friends of awardees, three employees were awarded the President's Service Excellence Award and 150 others were honored with the Service Award for their dedication of more than 30 years.
“Today we thank those who await no thanks. We salute the people who keep this university giving its best, no matter the circumstances, and they keep our students, faculty, staff, patients, and visitors happy, healthy, and productive," said AUB President Fadlo Khuri. “For decades, these pillars of AUB have been the support system, the lifeblood that keep the institution going, and the reliable mechanism that makes AUB what it is today."
Around 40 non-academic staff members from AUB and AUBMC were nominated for their excellent service. Through a rigorous process of narrowing down the number, three exceptional employees were selected from a diverse range of disciplines and expertise: the hospital information system, nursing management, and library reference.
Hisham Bawadi, assistant project director at AUBMC's Hospital Information System with 15 years of employment to date, was pivotal in the launch of the EPIC system. “We all strive to work at the best place in the region; AUB and AUMBC have been the best in the region for a while and we have to work hard to maintain this. It's very challenging, we have a lot of competition, and this is where we need that extra effort from every individual in this family to remain at the top," said Bawadi. “We were a team of 120 people implementing one of the most complex projects in the region, EPIC, with a limited budget, a limited number of staff, and a complex work area. Each and every member was an inspiration for all of us."
Sana Kanaan is a nurse manager at AUBMC's Coronary Care Unit. She is responsible for the inception and creation of the Samir Alam Heart Failure Unit. “I am proud to be a nurse, it is a place where you devote everything in your life, even your own life sometimes, to save lives and help people," she said. “I am really proud to be an AUB graduate, nurse, and employee. It is a blessing to be recognized for work well done over 30 years. I am so happy that I was nominated by the nursing department, my director, and the larger team that I really love and enjoy to work with. It is the maximum honor I could have hoped for."
Nabila Shehabeddine, head of AUB's Jafet Library Reference and Instruction Services, has over 29 years enabled the library to become a robust pillar of research and reference in the Middle East. “I never expect anything in return, it is my duty to serve AUB and the community," she said. “It is just the way I am, I give more than is expected of me without thinking twice. But I always felt appreciated by everybody, colleagues, students, even alumni who visit years later and tell their children, 'If you need anything at the library, Nabila will surely help.' This is a big recognition and is very rewarding on its own."
Fifty-two AUB and 98 AUBMC employees were honored at the ceremony for their long service and dedication: a total of 54 who have worked for 30 years, 47 for 35 years, 42 for 40 years, and seven who have worked for 45 years to date.
“Thanks to your efforts and the efforts of the AUB community, we are leaders in education and health care," Dr. Ziad Ghazal, Medical Center director, told the employees as he spoke about the achievements, recognitions, and accreditations received by AUBMC and AUB, the largest private employer in Lebanon. “We are honoring you today for your commitment to service excellence as well as your dedication and hard work… Not only should you feel proud of the work you do and the difference you make, but we are counting on every one of you to help others make a difference. We should all inspire one another and help make every employee a good citizen of AUB."
A full Assembly Hall and a joyous crowd of colleagues, family, and friends in the plaza outside joined the honorees in celebrating a day dedicated to the appreciation of every AUB and AUBMC employee.
“For more than 150 years, in good and in bad times, this historical monument has served communities within its walls as well as beyond, a matter that made it known not only regionally but also internationally," said Syndicate President George Jurdi who thanked President Khuri for the successful ongoing collaboration with administration and spoke about past successes and present goals. “In the face of challenges, we are optimistic that we shall continue to reach optimal results for all, as we work hand in hand, with the benefit of AUB employees as our main objective."