When an EVS employee gets the call, she answers

“Gail, I need you to feed the people.” Gail Mungin, an employee in Environmental Services, heard God instructing her to do this during prayer.

“People? Now God, I don’t know about that,” she debated, worried about how she’d take on the task of feeding nearly 70 people. “I’ve never done anything like that before.”

He reiterated, she said. “Bring the food to the people,” Mungin recounted, pounding her hand on the table in rhythm.

“And I did,” she said, “and we had a hilarious time. We had the sweets to the meats to the starches,” she said, clapping her hands with a boisterous laugh.

In fact, she ended up creating quite the smorgasbord for her EVS colleagues and has continued to cook people’s homemade favorites at another seven events. “I cook peas and rice, chicken and rice, candied yams, fried tilapia. Ooh, people love my tilapia. Turkey, wings, mac and cheese, butter beans, corn on the cob.”

She’s cooked for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Housekeeping Week, even Super Bowl 51. Once she had a going-away party for one of the managers who moved to another shift. “The Lord said, ‘Anybody who works like that needs to be appreciated.’”

When things need to be done, the “man upstairs” doesn’t hesitate to call on Gail Mungin. While that may involve cooking, checking on a grieving neighbor, shopping for the less fortunate or praying with family members of patients in the Medical Intensive Care Unit, she said where the Holy Spirit leads her, she goes.

A motherly figure who punctuates every sentence with contagious laughter, Ms. Gail, or Mama as many call her, has joy in large supply and shares it like a loving grandma with hard candy in her pocket. The mere fact her heart is so open and she is so generous has made her stand out in the eyes of her managers, colleagues and patients.

Mungin is one of four MUSC women making a difference and being honored this year for Women’s History Month. The theme, “Honoring Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business,” includes women who make a profound mark at their workplace in often unrecognized ways. This year’s honorees represent many diverse backgrounds, and like Mungin, each stands out for her special contributions to MUSC.

Rebecca Priester, director of Environmental Services for the main hospital, said she is so very honored to have her on the team. “Ms. Gail has the ability to make you feel important in her presence. She is one who would give her last penny if you needed it and a hug to make you smile. She is truly one of the strongest, honest and most compassionate women I’ve known.”

Mungin is said to arrive every day with a smile on her face, joy in her heart and an unwavering faith that inspires those around her. Melanie Scianna, RN, relief staff leader in the MICU, is a big fan of Mungin. She nominated her for employee of the month last year, which Mungin won.

“What sticks out about Gail is that she is hardworking, gives more than she expects in return, always has a cheerful heart, and has a kind word for everyone she comes in contact with. She is truly a blessing to our institution,” Scianna said when she learned of this recent honor.

In about a month, Mungin will reach the 29-year mark at MUSC, and it’s clear to see how much she loves her job, said John Lawyer, first shift assistant director of EVS in the main hospital. “Gail is a one-of-a-kind. She loves to do special things for people.”

Ulysses Jones, second and third shift assistant director of EVS in the main hospital, agreed. “Ms. Gail is a winner,” he said emphatically. “A quitter never wins the game and a winner never quits the game. Ms. Gail always wants to display excellence in what she does as an EVS team member. I am proud to have her on our team,” he said.

Mungin, Lawyer explained, is the evening freshener for patient rooms on the fourth, sixth and seventh floors in MUSC’s main hospital. “She is our meet-and-greet person – our second shift personality.”

Every afternoon, he said, she looks in on the patients, removes any trash from the room and sees if they need anything. And while technically, those might be the duties of the job, what makes her special are the extras.

“I interact with the patients a whole lot. I sure do,” Mungin said. “The families, nurses – everybody in there.”

She enjoys all the floors on which she works, but she has a soft spot for the MICU. “It’s a lot of sick people,” she said. “I love going into the room and talking with the patients – especially if they’re in need of prayer. The family will ask me to say a prayer, and I encourage the family to hold on – to hold tight and God will do his work. They get inspired.” 

Lawyer said she has a very warm spirit. “The patients love her. The families love her. The nurses love her. Environmental Services loves her. And she will pray in a minute!” he said with an affectionate laugh.

Last year, she felt led to cook Thanksgiving dinner for a family whose loved one had been on the floor a long time. Members of the family had hardly left the hospital. “I said to myself, ‘These people won’t even get to go home for Thanksgiving, because they’re so worried.' So the Lord had me to feed the group of them.”

She prepared a full Thanksgiving feast for all 12. They were understandably moved by her gesture of kindness. “You are just so special,” they kept telling her.

It’s no wonder patients look forward to her visits. “Sometimes they know my name, sometimes they’ll ask the nurses, ‘Where’s the lady from the second shift?’ or tell them to get a message to me, ‘Tell her we thank God for her. She gave us prayer last night.’”

At times, when she sees a patient in pain, she said God will tell her to pray. “The Lord will drop people in my spirit, and I’ll check on them. I’ll spend time with them. I’ll pray with them. Just whatever he tells me to do. I get worried when I don’t see patients I’ve gotten to know, and they’re not in their beds. When patients get better and go to the floor and see me, they’re excited, and I’m excited. That’s what excites me.”

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Editor's Note: MUSC is celebrating Women's History Month by honoring four trailblazing women in labor and business.