Values in Action Spirit Award Recipient for May - Beth Messenger

An employee since 2001, Beth Messenger was selected as the Western Maryland Health System's Values in Action Spirit Award recipient for the month of May. Beth works at the health system's Wellness Center as a program coordinator and she also handles the affairs of the busy Wellness office.

As part of her job, Beth coordinates a number of Wellness programs, including the REACH and senior citizens' programs. She also is a certified personal wellness coach, does tobacco cessation coaching, works with employee wellness, and supports other wellness and occupational health programs. She is also instrumental in organizing the annual Community Health Fair.

In a typical day, Beth answers upwards of 50 telephone calls and she quickly responds to the needs of both clients and staff alike. Simply put, she is the focal point of almost everything that goes on at the Wellness Center.

Beth is an exceptional employee with a fantastic attitude and real passion for her work. She is pleasant, cheerful, very personable, and gets along well with everyone. Beth is especially adept at dealing with the public and she is genuinely concerned for the well-being of the people she comes into contact with on a daily basis.

"I like working with people and helping them out with their needs," said Beth. "And I am in the perfect job for that." She says she really enjoys the variety in her job at Wellness and the challenge of facing a new day. "Each day I could be doing a totally different set of jobs and there’s never a boring moment."

Co-workers describe her as courteous, dependable, caring and very efficient. Beth often puts the needs of others first and makes everyone around her better. She frequently goes the extra mile by taking the time to stop what she is doing to help out a co-worker or client with a problem. Beth truly exemplifies the health system’s Core Values in her actions and deeds.

Beth and her husband, Dave, live in Short Gap and they are the parents of four children - Jonathan, 16, is a tenth grader and plays soccer; Sarah, 15, is in the ninth grade and plays softball and volleyball; Rebekah, 13, is a seventh grader and plays soccer; and Rachel, 9, is in the fourth grade and is involved in Girl Scouts and 4H. They all attend the Frankfort District Schools in Mineral County.

Away from work, the Messenger family keeps very busy with their children's sports and extracurricular activities. Beth likes to spend time cooking and baking, as well as looking after their horses and other animals. They attend Mt. Zion Church in Keyser, where she and her husband teach Sunday school.

Congratulations, Beth!