(Aug. 4, 2023) – The Kansas Hospital Association's Health Care Worker of the Year Award highlights hospital employees who have made a significant contribution to the betterment of their hospital. These individuals are nominated for this award because they routinely go above and beyond the call of duty.
Doug Olson is a quiet, consummate gentleman and a reliable go-to man for NMC Health in Newton. Olson is currently an employee health nurse but has fulfilled many roles in his 33 years with the hospital.
As the employee health nurse, Olson singlehandedly created and populated a database of all required employment information for more than 800 employees. He also serves as an Occupational Safety and Health Administration officer, informing of new regulations, providing education and as inspecting and documenting compliance.
In his previous role as surgery director, he led the assimilation of a local free-standing surgery center into the hospital's outpatient department. His foresight also helped the hospital get started with its first DaVinci robot and other equipment upgrades. In this role, Olson maintained credentials in advanced IV therapy and was frequently called upon to mentor others and to perform difficult insertions.
Olson's innate sense of orderliness has served him well in nursing and leadership. He designed and implemented a successful facility-wide eyewash station compliance process and helped place a young man on the autism spectrum as an eyewash compliance officer by recognizing his ability instead of his limitations.
Olson's meticulous nature has helped reach a 100 percent policy compliance status for influenza and COVID-19 immunizations. He also has a bit of spatial design and architectural insight and helped a surgeon correct an orthopedic plane during surgery and reconfigured plans for the Sterile Processing Department including new plumbing requirements.
Olson is preparing to retire this year. His professional skills and outside interests have helped make him the Renaissance Man of NMC Health.
Olson will be recognized, along with other Health Care Worker of the Year nominees, during the KHA Awards Luncheon at the 2023 KHA Annual Convention, Thursday, Sept. 7, at the Hyatt Regency Wichita/Century II Convention Center in Wichita.
--Shelby Stacy