Frank Pajaron, hospital maintenance field supervisor, has been named UAB’s Employee of the Year. Pajaron was chosen from the Employee of the Month award-winners during the 12-month period ending in July 2018.
Pajaron will be the guest of honor at an invitation-only ceremony and reception honoring his with the highest non-academic employee award in November.
“I love helping to make UAB a place where people can receive the best care possible,” Pajaron said. “It’s an honor to be recognized and rewarded for doing a job I thoroughly enjoy. I’m proud to work at UAB.”
Pajaron, who was selected as Employee of the Month in January, was praised for his good work ethic, dedication and quickness to volunteer for on-call shifts, many of which are on weekends. Once, he helped an older woman whose husband was a patient at UAB Hospital locate her car in a large parking deck — only to discover her tire was flat, so he changed it. Then he followed her to Alabaster to ensure she got home safely.
While on the clock as a field supervisor, he oversees compliance of the maintenance department, kitchen maintenance throughout UAB Hospital and the upkeep of mechanical rooms. He’s also spearheaded sustainability efforts in the hospital, specifically the switch to LED lighting, which he said has reduced the hospital’s utility costs.
“He will do whatever it takes to make UAB the best environment-of-care facility for the patients and families during their time here,” said Beth Lett, hospital maintenance engineering manager.
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“I love helping to make UAB a place where people can receive the best care possible.” |
That attitude stems from personal experience, Pajaron said. Before their deaths, both of his parents were ill and spent time in Birmingham hospitals, which gave their son a unique perspective on everything involved in making sure that patients have access to quality care, which begins by caring for the buildings themselves.
“My personal motivation is the people in the hospital beds,” he said. “I’m not going to shortchange them in anything I can do. Every one of them is my family member or my mother and father.”
Congratulations to the monthly award-winners
August: Good-natured Mary Dougherty-Bergeron keeps CFAR on track
September: Mattie Lowery-Poole sets a ‘shining example’ in Pediatric Dentistry
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Each month, UAB recognizes an outstanding employee for their dedication, hard work and contributions to the university’s success. If you know of a great employee, you can learn how to nominate them for this recognition at uab.edu/humanresources. |
November: Parth Bhagat inspired the term ‘Parth’d it’ as synonym for problem-solving
December: Tiffany Hearns’ smile can be ‘detected over the telephone’
February: Kathy Tubbs believes 'everyone has time to stop and help one another'
March: Jennifer Ragland believes 'you need to have fun along the way'
April: Cynthia Barham is ‘the heart’ of Materials Sciences and Engineering
May: Debra Clisby helps UAB ‘grow, adapt and take on the opioid epidemic’
June: Disability Support Services’ Ashleigh Johnson ‘never lets any student down’
July: Bernice Bowen’s ‘positive attitude and smiling face’ endear her to colleagues
