April / May 2021
Volunteer and Staff Updates
BETHESDA HEALTH CLINIC RECEIVES THE 2021 BBB AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
Bethesda Health Clinic is proud to have received the 2021 Better Business Bureau (BBB) Award for Excellence in the charity category. The awards were televised on KLTV in a production which aired on Sunday, May 2.

The BBB Award for Excellence recognizes East Texas Businesses and Charities who go above and beyond for their employees, their customers, and the community at large, and who demonstrate the highest standards of ethical practices.

“BBB’s Awards for Excellence Winners have shown that ethics and integrity are core values of their organization,” stated Mechele Agbayani Mills, president and chief executive officer of BBB Serving Central East Texas. “This year’s winners join an elite group of organizations who realize that dealing fairly and honestly with employees, customers and partners are central to profitability and growth. They serve as role models for all businesses in East Texas, and the Better Business Bureau is pleased to honor them with this prestigious award.”

Other nominees for the Nonprofit Category were:
The Arc of Smith County
Big Brothers Giving Back
Goodwill Industries of East Texas
Literacy Council of Tyler
Bethesda Hosts Drive-Thru Vaccination Clinic
Cars were lined around the building waiting, some for more than 2 hours, when volunteers arrived Saturday May 1 at the Bethesda COVID vaccination clinic.

More than 140 people were vaccinated thanks to numerous Bethesda Clinic volunteers and staff.

Huge thanks to CHRISTUS TMF for providing the first dose Pfizer vaccines, and to Chelsea Cohen and Elisa Morrison for their hard work organizing the event!

Bethesda will host the second-dose clinic on Saturday, May 22.
Local Love for shopping Hangers of Hope
We are proud to announce Hangers of Hope as the winner of the 2021 Locals Love Us competition in Charitable/Community Services, Used/Resale Clothing, and in Used/Reseal merchandise!

"There is such a wonderful team here at the stores working everyday to help make the shopping and donation experience fulfilling for East Texas and it is such a blessing to see the community's support this way!," said Joanna Leath, who manages the Hangers of Hope social media pages.

HOH is committed to keep striving each year to fulfill our mission to raise funds for the Bethesda Health Clinic while exceeding expectations. Congratulations to Krysti McWha, Hangers of Hope Retail Director, and her team on this award.

Longtime Volunteers Return and Bring Joy to Bethesda Clinic
Among some of the COVID-related challenges that hit Bethesda the hardest was our loss of volunteers.

Many of our volunteers were unable to serve because of their risk of contracting the virus. Thanks to the decrease in cases and the vaccine, we are so excited to have many of our long-term volunteers back at the clinic. Some of those include Martha Wheat and Peggy Yeiser.

Martha and Peggy have been volunteering since 2014. They welcome our patients with smiles at the front desk. They answer the phones, direct the lobby, help with postcards and so much more.

"We are so happy to have Martha and Peggy back. They bring a wonderful attitude and a sense of humor to the clinic," said Johana Velasco, patient care assistant. "They represent all the wonderful things about our volunteers and are always willing to help however needed."

Thank you Martha and Peggy!
Dr. Jony and Husband Welcome Baby Suma
Dr. Jony and husband Raj welcomed their first child, Suma, on April 13 at 2:05 p.m.

Suma weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and was 20 inches long.

Janel Merritt, RN, a Bethesda volunteer, assisted with the labor as Jony's doula.


Congratulations to this precious family!
Hope Rewards Launched at
Hangers of Hope
Now customers are rewarded to shop at Hangers of Hope! For each $1 spent you can now earn rewards, which can be redeemed for up to 20% of your total purchase!
Amy Connaway Named Culture Champion
Dental Assistant Amy Connaway was named the Culture Champion for May/June. Amy was selected for living out the core value of Reverence for Christ. Becky, the former culture champion said, "Amy has been partnering with medical to teach about God's word. It has almost always been medical taking the lead in God's word, but she has been a dental leader in reaching out to patients who need prayer or are going through other challenges. Plus she sings!"

Congratulations Amy!
Phone System Upgrade Phase 2

As we grow, so do our communication needs. Bethesda’s NEC digital phone system has been upgraded from 5 to 7 lines.
The upgrade required a migration from normal telephone lines to SIP trunks. SIP is a VOIP (voice over internet) protocol and trunks are links from the internet to the phone network.

Our alarm system and fax machines still use landlines.
While we added 2 lines, we anticipate having to add more lines in the future. SIP trunking allows us to add as many lines as we need, up to the limitations of our phones.

If you have any problems, be sure to open a ticket in the IT Knowledgebase. A few problems were identified by users shortly after deployment of the upgrade, but these were quickly resolved by NCOMM, our telephone system vendor.

For questions about using your phone or voicemail, please consult the SV9100 User Guide or SV9100 InMail Voice Mail Guide located in the IT Knowledgebase under the Phone System category.
We’re committed to the highest level of transparency!
Bethesda Health Clinic has earned the 2021 Platinum Seal of Transparency, showcasing the progress and results we’re
making toward our mission! Check out our updated profile on GuideStar: https://www.guidestar.org/profile/26-0036674


Bethesda Health Clinic
903.596.8353
info@bethesdaclinic.org
www.bethesdaclinic.org
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