Our extraordinary employees are what make Aureus Medical Group one of the top healthcare staffing agencies in the nation! We honored our Travel Healthcare Employees of the Year at a special recognition dinner held on August 17 in Omaha, Nebraska, home of our corporate headquarters. Congratulations to all of the winners!
Beverly Berger, Respiratory Therapist
Bev knows the lay of the land. Over the past ten years she’s traveled as a respiratory therapist and completed 27 assignments, several having extended to nearly a year. Bev’s broad base of skills and knowledge are matched by her strength as a patient and family advocate. She’s compassionate, a listener, and shows others that they are valued and respected. She believes every patient should be cared for as if they were family. When on assignment, she makes a list of adventures – the zoo, museums, botanical gardens, trails, and historical areas. Most of all she enjoys spoiling her grandson and preparing for the next one on the way. As she looks at her future years in her field, she hopes to find work close to her grandchildren so she can be more involved in their lives as they grow up.
Lorraine Donnarumma, Medical Technologist
Two years into a Pre-Med program, Lorraine decided she no longer wanted to be a doctor. She credits the foresight of a college recruiter for pointing her toward the field of Microbiology. And since 2009, she’s traveled with Aureus, having completed 17 assignments in various positions in labs across the country. Traveling to places she’s never been and expanding her circle of friends is what she loves most about her career in the laboratory field. Her experience makes her highly marketable. And on assignment, her drive and flexibility make her a valued member of each team she’s part of. Lorraine is a devoted mother who loves to spend time with her daughter, her brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews along with her parents, who still live in the family house. She reads, enjoys time with friends, and does a lot of sightseeing. She has her eye on settling down some day, maybe planting roots in a new place or retirement. For now, she welcomes each new adventure. She says she’s met so many people throughout her years of traveling. Each one holds a special place in her heart.
Suzi Grotelueschen, Physical Therapist
Suzi was fresh out of grad school when she began the first of many new adventures as a physical therapist. She’s traveled with Aureus for over two years now and has completed seven assignments. A strong therapist with an exceptional work ethic, it’s no surprise that nearly every facility where she has worked has asked her to stay on full-time. The freedom to move from place to place and live as a local while she’s there is what drew her to traveling. Since then she’s made friends who are now like family and climbed Mt. Katahdin in Maine, checking it off her bucket list. Perhaps what makes Suzi such a well-respected therapist is the combination of personal qualities she brings to her work each day. Empathetic and compassionate, she strives to do her very best for others and improve their quality of life. Driven and determined, she’s a problem solver who doesn’t give up when faced with adversity. In her role, she inspires her patients to do the same.
Sal Tollis, Cath Lab Tech
After working for an auto repair shop out of high school, a family friend suggested Sal take a look at careers in healthcare that required just a few years of schooling. Soon he was enrolled in the Radiologic program at Miami Dade Community College where he made the Dean’s list each term. Sal had wanted to travel since he was a student but plans changed. He was hired right out of school at the hospital where he did his clinicals and he went on to hold long term positions on Interventional Radiology teams, serve as a Supervisor, and earn his certification in cardiovascular radiology. In between, he worked as a sales rep for a medical device distributor. Today Sal is doing what he had his heart set on. He’s traveled with Aureus as a Cardiac Cath Lab Technologist since 2013. He’s known for his vast knowledge, versatility, perfectionism, and positive rapport he develops with his colleagues. Most evident is his commitment to each and every patient. Sal says he loves spending extended periods of time in various cities and becoming part of the culture. He makes new friends easily. His current assignment in Massachusetts is just an hour away from his youngest son. He’s considering options that will allow him to stay nearby through his high school years. Sal is working on his bachelor’s degree through online courses and plans to earn his Master’s. Ultimately, he plans to circle back to travel.
Jason Powell, RN (Stepdown)
Jason has a deep and profound calling to help others. His experiences as a travel nurse have given him an up close view of people, cultures, and challenges hospitals face. He’s seen facilities step up to take on greater responsibilities for caring for Native Americans as clinics struggled for resources and supplies. He’s helped educate Hawaiian families on caring for their elders while respecting cultural customs. While in Texas he worked with families to adopt a family spokesperson to help improve flow of information and ease their burden. Jason’s professional skill is matched by his compassion and his heart. His supervisors remark on how much patients and families appreciate not only the care he provides but how he makes them feel so comfortable, even in the most difficult moments. He says he’s continually reflecting on his nursing practice in order to do better and be better for those he serves. When on an assignment, he chooses local spots for food, hiking, and history. He visits battlefields, museums, archives, and memorials which have helped him better understand our country’s history. Along the way, he captures stunning photographs of the places and spaces he’s encountered. In the future, Jason plans to earn additional certifications in his field, eventually a PhD, and do more international humanitarian work.
Crystal Amo, RN (L&D)
Crystal grew up in upstate New York where she could see Canada out her window. She didn’t know that someday she’d leave small town behind and travel the country as a skilled and confident nurse. Soon she discovered Nursing was where she was meant to be. Crystal brings a broad background to her work. She’s practiced in home care, nursing homes, hospitals, and as a nurse manager. But she believes her true calling is labor and delivery. She’s been with patients during their most joyous moments and also their most painful ones. With each experience, she takes away something meaningful and carries it with her in her heart. It was her grandfather who encouraged her to step out and do what she had been talking about for years – travel nursing. With her children, Katie and Kristopher, grown, it was time. She ventured off for her first assignment to Carlsbad, New Mexico in 2014 on St. Patrick’s Day. Her extensive knowledge, combined with her kindness and openness to continued learning, enable her to smoothly transition to new assignments. She enjoys meeting new people, seeing how different facilities run, and of course caring for patients and hearing their stories. When she’s away from the hospital, she’s rarely without her camera. Photography is one of her favorite pastimes. She loves attending live concerts, exploring all of the tourist stops, trying new restaurants, and hiking. Crystal remains close to her immediate and extended family that still gathers on Sunday nights for big, noisy dinners. And when she’s home, she enjoys all that comes with being a grandmother to little ones.