Four years ago, Gabrielle Barrett, RDMS RVT, received a phone call from a recruiter asking if she would be interested in moving from Bakersfield, California, to Scottsbluff. A single mother at the time, Barrett took a chance and accepted an interview just before Christmas. A couple of weeks later, she joined the team at Regional West, where she now works as an ultrasound tech, and was recently named the 2020 STAR of the Year.

Because of her work, Barrett is also the 2021 Regional West recipient of the Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) The Caring Kind Award. The NHA honors outstanding healthcare employees who have demonstrated compassion for patients, cooperation with co-workers, and dedication to excellence in their job responsibilities through The Caring Kind Program annually.

Barrett originally chose her field with an interest in helping with babies and expectant mothers, however she has spent her career primarily working with the elderly population, and she loves it.

“They’re so fun, and you get to hear so many stories of life and learn from them,” Barrett said, adding that she often has time for conversations while running scans. “I think it’s really important to make people feel heard. I think that is a huge part of our job. I get to sit there and scan them and listen to their stories, and I think sometimes being a good listener is way better than talking.”

Barrett is now married and recently welcomed her third child. She appreciates the commitment to serve others that she sees in the team with whom she works, as well as in the people of western Nebraska.

“It’s really easy to raise kids here with the family atmosphere,” she said. “I was a single mom when I moved to western Nebraska. There is always support. The people in this hospital and people outside the hospital would come alongside me and help. They would provide their kids to babysit my son when I was on call. The people here are amazing, and so willing to help and serve.”

When Barrett learned that her demeanor and conversations were appreciated enough that she was nominated for a STAR Award, she said it was an honor.

“It’s humbling for somebody to say, ‘This actually meant a lot to me,’ when I was just talking, doing what I do,” she said. “I just talk to people. It was very humbling to remember that you’re serving, that you are being watched, and you have the potential to care for people in a way that people would see as extraordinary or going beyond what you’re supposed to. To me that’s just our job.”

Barrett said she tries to be a light for her patients by letting them know that they’re loved and were created for a purpose. She said that’s the best part of her job.

“I get to love people,” she said. “People you never thought you would get to love. I can sit there and listen to them and make them feel heard, like they matter, because they do.”