Stacey Aguilar, Director of Environmental Services and Laundry at Community Hospital, was honored in October as Community Hospital's 2011 Caring Kind recipient during the Nebraska Hospital Association annual convention in La Vista. During the convention, Aguilar was a guest at the Caring Kind luncheon along with other recipients from across the state.The Caring Kind award is a time-honored tradition of the Nebraska Hospital Association. It recognizes outstanding health care employees who have demonstrated compassion for patients, cooperation with coworkers and dedication to providing the best care possible. Hospitals across the state select a Caring Kind recipient from within their respective institutions.

Aguilar was nominated by co-workers and chosen by the Community Hospital PACT Committee. Her nomination read:

"Stacey Aguilar, Environmental Services Director at Community Hospital, manages to keep her own department running smoothly while helping out in so many areas of the hospital. Stacey follows our Standards of Excellence in her job as director and a co-worker. She helps with school tours, Career Discovery Days, parade floats, Community Health Expos, blood drives for employees, county fair booth, and volunteers for special events. She does it all and always with a smile and pleasant attitude. Stacey also heads up the EARTH team and every week she rounds up items in the facility to recycle. This fall she will be helping with the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University classes. We can always count on Stacey. Since 1992 she has been the kind of employee that every facility should have. Community Hospital appreciates her great attitude and her can-do spirit. Stacey Aguilar has been selected as the Caring Kind Recipient for 2011."

Stacey has been director of environmental services and laundry since 2003. She began working at Community Hospital as a high school student in August 1992 in the dietary department washing dishes. She was one of the first students to take Community Hospital's health careers class, graduating in 1994 from McCook High School. Stacey worked three years in the dietary department before transferring to the Environmental Services department. Since then, she has worked her way up in the department to supervisor, assistant director and finally director in 2003.

Stacey was born and raised in McCook. Her parents are Jay and Shirley Alberts. She has one son, Andrew, 14, and one daughter, Elise, 9. Her children and sister, Jamie, from Omaha were able to attend the luncheon with her, along with Community Hospital staff attending the convention.