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White County Medical Center and Blood Bank Supervisor Brenda Maddock celebrate their 45th Anniversary together this month.

WCMC and Brenda Maddock Celebrate 45 Years

Jan 30, 2012
When White County Memorial Hospital opened its doors on January 16, 1967, Brenda Maddock proudly walked to the front door of the hospital to wheel the first patient through the doors. This month, as White County Medical Center and Maddock celebrate 45 years together, Maddock reminisces about changes she has witnessed in the hospital’s four and a half decades of service to the community.

As a student at Searcy High School, Maddock participated in the work-study program and was placed at the former Porter Rodgers Hospital. She grew to enjoy the healthcare environment while serving as a nurse’s aide. Maddock was fresh out of high school and eager to learn when she started working at what was then White County Memorial Hospital on January 9, 1967.

The Early Years
In 1967, the hospital was a simple, rectangular building with just two floors and cost $1.2 million to build and equip. Prior to receiving patients, the hospital invited the community to view the newest healthcare facility in Searcy. According to a newspaper article that ran in The Daily Citizen on January 9, an estimated 5,000 local residents waited in a line at the hospital’s front doors for a guided tour during the open house.

Of the 50 employees who worked at the hospital when it opened, Maddock was number 30, she has the badge to prove it to this day; the hospital also had 50 beds in the early years. (White County Medical Center now employs more than 1,500 associates and has 438 licensed beds.)

Maddock has dedicated her life’s work to the hospital. “I love my job,” she said. “I have always been loyal and dedicated to my work and my co-workers. One thing I love about working in the Lab is that it is constantly changing; to this day, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t learn something new. When I have the opportunity to work with the new equipment, I get to learn about all the new chemistry instruments. It is challenging to keep up with the rapidly changing technology.”

After a year of working as an aide and health unit coordinator, Maddock started working as a secretary in the Laboratory. Back then, Maddock said there was just one instrument, a spectrophotometer, in which big, glass tubes were used for all tests done in the lab. “I would read the beginning of the reaction and the end of the reaction, and that’s how we got the results,” she said. “Everything was handwritten, and we washed and used the tubes over and over. Times have changed; now, everything is prepackages and computerized.”

The Lab was an excellent training ground for Maddock as she successfully completed an intensive two-year training course and exam to become a Clinical Licensed Assistant, Medical Licensed Technician, then, a Medical Technologist. Even though she didn’t have chemistry in high school, Maddock said she felt like she did so well on the coursework because she had seen all the chemical reactions occur while working in the Lab. “Most of the time, the chemicals were sent to us in powder form, and we had to manually combine the powders with water or acid to form the chemical compound we needed,” she said.

Here and Now
There were only four other employees working in the Lab when Maddock started. Now, there are 39 associates who work in the Lab. Phlebotomist Donna McCoy has worked with Maddock for years and expressed her appreciation for Maddock and her tenure at the hospital.

“Brenda is a wonderful lady! When I first started working in the lab, she was one of the first to make me feel welcome,” McCoy said. “Brenda is such a dedicated person both personally and professionally. There is not any aspect of that Blood Bank that she doesn’t know about; she takes great pride in her work. To work at one place for 45 years is incredible, but to have worked 45 years and provided care with such high standards is truly outstanding. Thank you, Brenda, we love you and are very proud to work with you!”

As the years passed, Maddock worked in hematology, then, served as the Lab’s Chief Technician. Nearly 20 years ago, she opted to serve as Blood Bank Supervisor, which is still her title. In this position, Maddock performs the important task of overseeing blood utilization within the hospital. She reviews each unit of blood that is given at the hospital to ensure the bank maintains the right supply and that each unit of blood meets patient safety standards. An average of 350 units of blood is given to patients each month.

Manager of Laboratory Greg Ashby said, “Brenda deserves praise for 45 years of exceptional service here at White County Medical Center and for her complete dedication to the Clinical Laboratory Sciences. As the Laboratory Manager, I truly appreciate and value her ongoing desire to provide quality care, especially related to Blood Bank procedures. The excellent qualities of the WCMC Blood Bank are directly related to Brenda’s desire to do what is right for all our patients in every circumstance.”

Additionally, Maddock oversees the American Red Cross Blood Drives held every other month at WCMC. “There is always a greater need for blood during holidays, so our hospital always hosts a Blood Drive before holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, as well as spring and summer breaks.”

Through the years, Maddock has seen the hospital flourish to the healthcare facility it is today, and she remembers each addition. “I have truly enjoyed working here,” Maddock said. “I have seen several people come and go over the years, and I’m thankful to have a job I still love.”

ABOUT WHITE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER
As the leading healthcare provider in a six-county area, White County Medical Center associates strive to create a healthy community by providing quality patient care and participating in community health events. White County Medical Center is the largest employer in Searcy with more than 1,500 associates. The facility has a combined total of 438 licensed beds and a medical staff of 150 physicians that specialize in various areas of healthcare.