PITT
COUNTY
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL |
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SALLY
LUCIDO February 1, 2000 Interviewer: Beth Nelson Beth Nelson: Tell me about your background leading up to your employment at PCMH. Sally Lucido: Most of my working life before I came here was in law offices and my last position in Northern Virginia was working for the President of a REIT at First Virginia Bankshares Corporation. We came to Greenville in April of 1976 and I had not planned on working at all anymore. I spent the summer fixing up the home, doing various other things and taking it easy and then I found myself sitting in front of the television most of the day. I thought that I didn't want to do this for the rest of my life. Sally Lucido: My husband was a Lt. Col. in the Army and had recently retired and came down here to take over the ROTC Program at Ayden/Grifton High School. He had a teaching degree, in fact, he had three Masters and all of them in Education but he took the offer from Ayden/Grifton. That lasted for a few years. Then, he became an Assistant Principal at Ayden/Grifton and also taught. After that he became ill and felt it was probably too much for him and moved over to Chicod School and taught. He really loved it at that school but it proved also to be too much for him after his heart attack. Getting back to myself, I opened the paper one Sunday in late August of 1976 and just happened to look at the classified ads and there was an advertisement for a Secretary at Pitt County Memorial Hospital. I applied the next day, Monday. I was at that point either 40 or 42 years old and it was the first time in my life that I ever felt threatened about applying for a job. I stood there with the typical suit you would wear when applying for a position and there were probably eight to ten very lovely young ladies waiting there to apply for the position. I looked around and I thought to myself, "Just forget it; you are not going to get this position." Prior to this interview I had always had a very positive outlook when applying for a position. Anyway, actually Craig Quick was the first person to interview me. He was Personnel Officer at the time and he interviewed me and then I had an interview immediately after with Rick Gilstrap who was the Associate Director and the person looking for a Secretary. We talked for a very long time and I really enjoyed the conversation. He said he would make his decision by Friday. Apparently there were many people interviewing for this position. Anyway, I can remember going out the door with him and telling him that we were leaving for the beach on Friday Noon and I boldly turned to him and asked him if he would let me know his decision before Noon on Friday. Actually, as good as I felt the interview went, I did not feel that I had the job even though we did have a good interview. This was Monday morning. Monday afternoon as I unlocked the door my phone rang. It was Rick Gilstrap asking me if I could start on Wednesday. I can remember telling him that I could not be there Friday afternoon. I worked six months in the old hospital. I started there September 1 of 1976 and we moved over in March to the new site. We moved in two or three weeks before the hospital was open to patients. Some of us moved over, set up files and prepared things. I worked for Rick about a year, then I went to work for Jack Richardson as his Administrative Assistant. It was a big decision on my part to change as I truly enjoyed working for Rick Gilstrap. When I started working in the hospital I didn't have the slightest idea of what hospital work was like but it didn't take me long to learn. I have loved working at the hospital and really found the health care field to be so interesting and challenging. Up until the last month or so when I knew I was retiring, there wasn't a day that I thought I wished I didn't have to go to work. I liked the idea of what the hospital stood for and did. I do believe that in everybody's mind the patient always came first. That was the main mission for everyone. I grew to really love hospital work and really enjoyed the people I worked with. After a couple of years the ribbing I took about being a Yankee subsided. There was a couple who loved to tease me about various Yankee mannerisms. This was all in good fun and friendship. I remember that Jean Owens who was Director of Nursing used to kid me about being a Yankee constantly. She has been retired for many years but still a good friend. She used to say that once she and Dean Perry took a trip to New England and blindfolded the dogs so they wouldn't pick up bad habits from northerners!
Sally Lucido: Well, this will probably be funny to you when you hear it, but I actually started getting out of my house early when my daughter was in high school. She would come out to the table in the morning it always ended up in an argument so I thought I am just not going tosit and argue with her each morning. I started going to work early and actually found out how much I could get done before everything really started there. It also kept things more peaceful at home. It also gave us a great relationship. I always felt that since I was at work early that if anyone needed anything, and I was asked over the years to help various staff, and I never looked at it as that it was not my job, give it to your person. If I could help them I did it. I feel I have always had strong work ethics and I think it works both ways. There were a lot of times when you're not happy with the way things are working, but that's part of life and it takes a lot of years to accept it. Some things I never fully accepted but I hope it didn't show. As I have said to many people, you can get a lot done early before the phones start ringing. In fact, many times I didn't even turn my phone on until 7:30 a.m. This is a fairly uninterrupted time of the day. Consequently, come 4:30 p.m. I was ready to leave but if I knew I had to stay there for a meeting until midnight, it would have been fine. I didn't shut down, I just wanted to leave at 4:30 p.m. I don't know if you were there then but we used to have Board meetings that lasted until 10:00 p.m. or so. Back then I was coming in just as early. On Board day you had your Finance Committee meeting at 4:00 p.m., followed by your Executive Committee meeting. After that everyone went into the Cafeteria for dinner and after dinner everyone went back in for the monthly Board meeting. Of course the meetings were not as long as they are now because there wasn't the volume of business to discuss that takes place today. Today's meetings are full of presentations by staff, which takes up time. It wasn't so global then and all discussions were focused on PCMH alone.
Sally Lucido: Yes, from 6:00 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. or 10:00 p.m. at night. A lot of people these days think they have work ethics but they don't. They don't know the true meaning of it I guess. You are being paid for a job and you do it. Beth Nelson: Tell me about some of the big events you remember about they might be interesting such as the hurricanes, flood, snow, privatization, etc. Sally Lucido: I remember that a lot of personnel who would not normally be there slept there for several days doing anything that was asked of them. The Administrative Suite was always fully manned. When personnel from our Suite spent the night we slept on a couch, sleeping bag, blanket on floor, etc. We did this during the hurricane and also during the flood. During the flood we couldn't use the commodes and before we knew it there were portable johns set up all over outside the hospital. Actually they were right in front of the hospital. I also remember in 1980 when we had the big snowstorm many of us couldn't get into work for several days and those working at the hospital couldn't get home. I remember my daughter was working part time there and she couldn't get home for two days. Back in those days, Administration served as the Command Center during disasters or anything like that and we were constantly kept busy. Over the years that was taken out of Administration down to the ED but since I have retired, I hear that it is moving back into Administration. Our Administrative support personnel used to play more of a part in this than now. I know right before I left they installed a bank of phones in the conference room and that would probably be an ideal place for the Command Center. I can remember going into the Cafeteria at 3:00 a.m. and several conference rooms were set up as nurseries for employees' children. They were using the Tree Rooms for little ones of all ages. Some of them during the flood were there because naturally the parents couldn't leave them behind so the Cafeteria would be full of children. I think everybody there did everything they possibly could. It was amazing and I guess that the hospital family, no matter what your job was, if you work in a hospital you are more compassionate and very aware of things that you never would be if you were not working in that environment. I have always felt that way. You look at many things totally differently. Another thing I remember about the flood is the effort made by our employees for our employees who lost most everything. I understand there were about 400 of our employees affected by the flood. Most of the checks were sent to my attention for recording, etc. and it was unbelievable what people gave and some of them could no more afford to do what they did and yet they still shared. It was absolutely amazing. In addition to many, many hospital employees, the big drug companies not only sent big checks but they gave supplies, food and many other things. I simply could not begin to list all of the local and not local corporations and various institutions that gave so much. This was absolutely amazing all the support that came in at this time. A Committee was set up through our Human Resources Division to review and screen all employee applications for assistance. A plan was set up to aid all qualified individuals. I remember the entire medical staff made large donations to our employees. All of this money was earmarked for the Employee Assistance Fund. I cannot begin to tell you the amount of money that was donated but it was still coming in November when I retired and I understand it filtered in even after that. Checks were even coming in from friends and parents of our employees wanting to help too. Local establishments donated food for use in our Cafeteria at this time also. Many, many churches made donations. I think for most of us if we had to do without to help someone, that was fine. A time like this really gives you an insight into people. It is a time when you really get a firsthand view of people in need. I remember employees in need were given money instantly, we put people up in motels, employees also donated vacation hours which were turned into cash for the Employee Assistance Fund. Also, you had mentioned privatization. I think it was twice as hard because you're working with and arguing with commissioners, some of whom have been on our Board, and you would think they would have a better understanding. Some of them are the very ones who would not give the support which I felt should have been given. The commissioners who served on the Board or who worked so very closely with our Board had the insight but some failed to support us. I don't know why the commissioners dragged their feet so much in the privatization because even though we are private there are still so many things you have to answer. Dave McRae was so good for so long in always sharing with them even though once we became private he was not obligated to do. I would say I'm not going to send this or that to the commissioners any more because we don't have to and he would say go ahead and send it to them anyway. I admired Dave for that. We gradually wound down as it wasn't necessary but it wasn't "boom" you're cut off. Dave has a good way with things like that. It had to have hurt him too seeing the reaction of some people. He was such a gentleman throughout the entire privatization process. It was unbelievable! I know I would have lost my temper a thousand times. In fact, in all the years I worked for Dave I can only think of about two times that I even saw him angry. He never yelled or anything like that. I never asked him things that were not within reason, naturally, but he never said no to me. |
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Laupus Library The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University 600 Moye Boulevard Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4354 P 252.744.2240 l F 252.744.2672 |
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