Celebrating Celebrate!

Who doesn’t like a celebration? Especially this time of year. And if you’re the one being celebrated, well, it can put a lilt in your step and a smile on your face. 

Just ask the thousands of MUSC employees who’ve been “celebrated” across the enterprise this past year on MUSC’s Celebrate! platform. That number alone is a reason to celebrate.

The employee rewards and recognition platform, which just celebrated its first year, lets employees single out their coworkers with words of appreciation, positivity, encouragement, and recognition for a job well done. 

 

Paula Sutton, Celebrate!, program manager, said the platform has been used to deliver employee/leader recognitions and annual employee appreciation awards. 

A self-described “recognition enthusiast,” Sutton says Celebrate! has exceeded first-year expectations and continues to grow. 

“This is the first time we’ve had a platform for everyone,” she said. “It allows us to have a single reward and recognition program that is inclusive and provides a consistent experience for all MUSC employees no matter what their role and location.”  

Since November, it has been used to welcome new employees across the MUSC enterprise, and in September, it delivered a well-deserved KUDOS and thank you to MUSC’s grounds crew for cleaning up after tropical storm Helene.

Sutton said Celebrate! fills a gap as MUSC has grown across the state.

“We knew we needed to do something to recognize everyone regardless of where they worked,” she said. “We always had homegrown programs, but never a way for everyone to recognize coworkers. Celebrate! has allowed us to reach all our employees across the enterprise and to bring a culture of recognition and appreciation.”

Monica Gardner, director of finance for administration for MUSC Information Solutions, says her department uses Celebrate for its “bytes of brilliance,” which recognize employees for outstanding performance, including demonstrating teamwork, compassion, and responsiveness. 

Gardner says Celebrate! is a valuable way to recognize “behind the scenes” employees across the enterprise. “A lot of people on my team and in information solutions aren’t as visible as other employees, but they’re extremely important because they make up the foundation for the entire organization.”

For Julie Heckman, MSN, RN, MUSC executive director for Ambulatory, said being “celebrated” was a reminder of just how impactful an employee recognition can be.  

“It made me pause, reflect and realize how important it is to ‘pass it on’ and recognize another member of our team,” she said. “Award recognition is crucial for the workplace.”

Opening his email and seeing that he’s been recognized is a nice surprise, said David Howell, system leadership excellence manager. 

Howell, who has also recognized coworkers, said the acknowledgements in Celebrate! "reaffirm that the work we do is meaningful and impactful. Celebrate! allows all of us at MUSC to reinforce positive behaviors that make us better as an organization.”

As Celebrate! begins its second year, Sutton is giving a special shout-out to the Celebrate! Project Team: Susan Carullo, director of Human Resources; Allen Coulter, chief learning/engagement officer; Jennifer Nall, associate dean and chief of staff, College of Medicine, and Celebrate! ambassador, Dawn Hartsell, chief of staff in the president’s office.

“They worked tirelessly to select and help implement the platform,” she said.