CRMH Emergency Department staff recognized for Commitment! #carilionproud

The Emergency Department at Carilion Clinic Roanoke Memorial Hospital has had its fair share of hard times throughout the years and 2020-current has been particularly difficult as one would imagine during a pandemic. There are more than a few employees in the ER that have stood the test of time and have continued to provide world class care in the face of many adversities and hardships. More than 100 to be precise and the list of people would fill this entire page! I for one am extremely proud to call these staff members my extended family and equally as proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with each of them saving lives day in and day out. Often the deeds and sacrifices of these staff members can go unnoticed in the daily hustle and bustle of the hospital. For this reason, it was decided to give a physical token of appreciation in the form of a custom challenge coin for demonstrating Carilion's core value of Commitment to our organization and our community!

Why a challenge coin you ask. Well Emergency Medicine has adopted many processes and technologies from the military over the years such as trauma care, triage, and today challenge coins! The challenge coin has an interesting history with some resources claiming that the Roman Empire rewarded soldiers by presenting them with coins to recognize their achievements in battle. In Rome, if soldiers excelled in battle one day, they would receive their typical day's wages along with a separate bonus coin. According to some accounts, these bonus coins were specially minted, featuring the marks of the legions from which they came. It is in this spirit that this challenge coin was designed by ER nurse Travis Allen Talley, BSN with help from Craig McCown NREMTP. Special thanks to Paul Davenport, VP, Amanda Brendel, DNP, and Ashlie Ikenberry, MSN for assisting in passing out the challenge coins to staff who were so busy with patient care that they were not able to get off the floor to receive this wonderful token of appreciation!