Employee Recognition Day | SUNY Upstate Medical University

37th Annual Employee Recognition Day

A Virtual Celebration Honoring Employee Service | Thursday, October 7, 11:00-11:30am

Each year, Upstate hosts a celebration to honor those employees who have reached a 5-year milestone in their years of service. This year, we honor those employees with a special online ceremony.

The presentation above will begin promptly on this website at 11:00am on Thursday, October 7 — with special acknowledgements from Upstate Leadership, special moments and memories from some of our 45-year honorees, and thanks for years of service to Upstate and the community.

View VIRTUAL CELEBRATION on YouTube

Please take a moment to scroll through the 45, 40, and 35-year honorees below, and check out the complete list of honorees. Scroll through the shared comments and kudos, — and if you have a special memory, moment, or message of congratulations — submit them to share with the Upstate community.

Thank you for your service to Upstate Medical University!

View Full list of 2021 Honorees

Share Congratulations, Memories & Moments

45 Years of Service

Cherlynn “Sherri” Clarry

Pediatrics

Cherlynn “Sherri” Clarry said she has so many funny stories from her many years at Upstate that it’s hard to choose just one. It’s also hard for her to believe that she’s still here after all these years. She is quoted as saying: “I can’t believe I’ve been here that long. I mean who does that?” Her first job at Upstate was as a medical transcriptionist in the Department of Pediatrics. She has spent the last 26 years in pediatrics, a department full of great people, she said. She is currently the office manager for the Department of Pediatrics Service Group, which includes nearly 100 providers.

Thomas Wolff

Chp-Physician Assnt Studies

Thomas Wolff has been connected to Upstate in some way or another since 1968. He began his professional career here as chair of the Department of Family Medicine when Dr. Richard Schmidt was dean of the College of Medicine and Dr. Lewis Bluemle was president. At the time, family medicine was a new discipline. Dr. Wolff said that after more than 45 years at Upstate, he is most proud of developing the Rural Medical Education program, which he said allowed him to get to know many medical communities throughout the state. Dr. Wolff did his best to retire but was quickly recruited back to serve as medical director of the Physician Assistant program in the College of Health Professions.

Frederick Werner

Orthopedic Surgery

As a professor of orthopedic surgery, Fred Werner said he’s enjoyed “solving challenging kinematic and mechanical research problems” as he’s designed experiments with equipment. Upstate facilities have inspired to come up with many innovative solutions, walking the hallways of the Institute of Human Performance. Werner’s first responsibility at Upstate was to redesign a mechanical knee joint simulator that had been developed by Dr. David Murray and Dr. James Shaw. As a mechanical engineer, Werner said it was a fun project to work on a hydraulic loading frame to test total knee replacements. Since then he’s designed a nine-channel wrist joint motion simulator to test orthopedic surgical interventions and implants.

Teresa “Terry” Engelbrecht

Patient Access-Pre Services

Terry Engelbrecht’s first job was in admitting at then Community General Hospital. Since 1975, Terry said she has worked with many co-workers over the years and, “for the most part, they have been great!” She enjoyed playing in a hospital women’s golf league in the 1980s and 90s and said she always looked forward to Wednesday nights at Tanner Valley. She’s witnessed many technological changes and advancements over the years. She said one of her fondest memories was of a supervisor during the 1980’s who made a big production over having to change the printer toner. The supervisor would wear full PPE including a gown, mask and gloves. “It looked like he was doing brain surgery,” she said. “We all had a good laugh over that.”

Leah Neider

CG-Emergency Dept

It doesn't feel like it has been 45 years. There is a saying that if you find a career that you love, it's not a job. Nursing has always been my passion. It has been a pleasure working for Upstate, I have met a lot of wonderful people.

Susan Titus

CG-2E-Ob/Gyn/Nursery

Clara Corona

Nursing-Nss/Hct/Lpn/Ust/Nsc

40 Years of Service

Susan Baran

Radiology-Diagnostic

Favorite memory: Too many to think of just one. First job: Upstate downtown in diagnostic x-ray What has changes most? The technology in imaging going from xray film to digital imaging. The technology change in the equipment, there were no MR units when I started. CT scans took 10 seconds to do 1 slice. Do you have a funny story to share?: Way too many, One would be doing an emergency scan at 0200 with our current CEO Dr. Corona when he was a neurology resident and both of us asking are we having fun yet! Oh what we did not know for the future!

Christopher Lalone

Medbest Medical Mgt

Favorite memory: It’s hard to single out a favorite memory, but much easier to cherish all the professional and personal relationships that were formed over the years. I worked in Hospital Finance on the Hospital Cost report located in a very small office behind the main bank of elevators with 3 others employees. Social distancing did not exist in 1980. What has changed?: IT technology has changed so much over my 40-plus year career at Upstate. My first PC was one of the first PCs ever produced. A TRS80 Radio Shack with 8” floppy disk drives. It allowed me to do the annual cost report in 3 hours vs 3 days using the first spreadsheet program called Visicalc long before Lotus and Excel.

James Greenwald

Family Medicine

Favorite memory: Delivering the child of a mother, whom I had also delivered many years prior. First job: I started fresh out of my residency, managing the faculty practice at 708 Irving Ave. We had a nurse and a medical assistant who did everything. Our records were in manila folders on a shelf in a closet. Our billing records were on 4 x 5 cards. Our patient and doctor numbers were in a Rolodex file. What has changed: I miss working in both in the office and the hospital with my patients. It was so easy to do a curbstone consult with the specialists. Funny story: When I was developing the standardized patient program, we had a case of teen pregnancy which we used in in the Family Medicine Clerkship. One of our actors who played the trouble teenager was the daughter of the chair of our department. An accomplished college student, our actor got into the costume and attitude of a young woman with problems and with an attitude with aplomb.

Mary Foster

Pediatrics

Favorite memory: The day I found out that I received the Nursing Excellence Award. This is an award that I received because my colleagues voted for me to be a recipient of this award. I was extremely proud to be recognized and then awarded this honor, especially by the people I worked closely with every day. First job: My first job at Upstate was as a SCA (Summer clinical assistant). I am not even sure if they still have this position. I remember I worked at Upstate during the summer of my Junior year of nursing school. Since then I have gone on to work at Upstate as a GN (graduate Nurse), RN (Registered Nurse) and now as an NP (Nurse Practitioner). What has changed?: I would say the physical layout of the hospital and the growth of the pediatric care here at Upstate. When I started working here full time in 1981 there was only one building, with 8 floors. The pediatric ICU was a room at the end of the 4th floor, which at the time was the pediatric floor. The pediatric ICU was just a room with duct tape on the floor to divide the room into 4 separate sections for 4 beds. I was one of the first PICU nurses and one of the first PICU nurses on the pediatric transport team. As I advanced in my career I was the first NP to be hired to work as a NP for the inpatient pediatric pulmonary service. Funny story: One day I saw a patient around 8 years of age. I had been following him for a couple of years. On this day he came to our clinic with his 3 or 4 year old brother and his father. In the past when this patient would come see me they would tell his brother that he was going to Mary Foster’s. He finally said he wanted to go to Mary Foster’s, so they brought him along. When I walked in the room the brother looked a little sad. His father told me he was sad because he thought he was going to a store named Mary Foster’s and not to an office visit. Kind of like a Tim Horton’s I guess.

Christine Mieczkowski

Contracts & Campus Purchasing

Favorite memory: I enjoyed meeting a lot of people, volunteering at various events over the years, working on various projects and then seeing it posted on a billboard driving on I-81 and knowing you had a small part working on the project. First job: My first job was the department secretary for the Purchasing Department. There was only one Purchasing Department at the time located on the 3rd floor of the CAB. What has changed the most during your career here: How large the institution has become and the number of people that work here.

Samuel Kenyon

Payroll Services

Deirdre Neilen

Bioethics And Humanities

Not Pictured

Theresa Boyle, Contracts & Campus Purchasing
Gary Burke, CG-Plant Operations
Abdelkarim Galal, Clin Path-Micro & Virology
Kathleen Penizotto, Financial Services-Patient
Michele Smelkoff, Medical Staff Service
Elizabeth Venuti, Student Billing & Cashiering

35 Years of Service

Below are thoughts shared by many 35-year honorees on their favorite memories, first jobs, how things have changed, and funny stories from their years of service.

View the complete list of 2021 honorees

Cindy Couche

Radiology-Nuclear Medicine

Favorite memory: How staff in all different departments do whatever is necessary to come together and accomplish tasks that benefit the patients and their care. A few dollars for a patient lunch or parking, holding the patient's hand and reassuring them to get them thru a lengthy exam, and learning about so many interesting people that have passed through my department.

First job: Nuclear Medicine Technologist

What has changed: Technology. Everything was documented by hand on oodles and oodles and oodles of paper when I started in 1986 and how we "Boomers" have adapted to all changes. In nuclear medicine we used to do all our imaging using Polaroid film, the kind where you had to smear the picture with the goop to ensure the image didn't degrade over time.

Darleen Rex

Transplant Clinic

Favorite memory: Choosing just one favorite memory of my career here at Upstate is difficult because I have so many. I have had the privilege of working with several great people who over the years I began referring to them as my work family. My favorite memory is when my husband, Glen got hired in 1996. Since then, every day we have enjoyed each other’s company as we ride to and from work together. We are fortunate enough to enjoy lunch together as well.

Another fond memory I have was working with my husband and our amazing Emergency Department family. Together, he and I had the privilege of assisting with organizing the annual Clambake. Over the years I have had so much fun buying gifts to raffle off, playing games and listing to music all while making wonderful memories with our family and work family.

First job: My first job at Upstate was housekeeping at the Downton campus. Eventually I was promoted to my current title, Hospital Patient Service Clerk 2.

What has changed: So much has changed through my time here. The obvious physical changes of the hospital are something that sticks out to me the most. There are several more hallways to travel down. The main entrance to the Upstate Hospital Campus, the East Towers including the Golisano Children’s Hospital, Parts of Weiskotten Hall and the Cancer Center are all new since I began working here. I have no problem racking up the miles and getting my daily steps in as I travel through these buildings.

Funny story: The one that I will never forget was when I worked for the Prenatal Center. I was put in charge of making scrub tops that represented our clinic. Our scrub top was a womb with triplets inside. I had to walk around while wearing this top.

I will share one last funny story that involved my husband and children visiting me on Valentine’s Day. At the time I was working on 8K/8P Peds Surgery. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon and seeing them was the highlight of my day. As if their visit was not enough, Archie McEvers NP for our Department of Surgery showed up with his quartet group. They began playing music as my family presented me with balloons and flowers. It was a sweet gesture. However, I had to laugh when I overheard one of our patient’s father saying to my charge nurse, Thank God my wife was not here! She would expect me to do this for her.

Ann S. Botash

Dean's Office, College Of Medicine

Favorite memory: The day the Child Abuse Referral and Evaluation Team moved into the new Child Advocacy Center. After many years of planning, fundraising, and work to create a new site, our team moved into the newly renovated building and were then able to provide a better approach to traumatized children.

First job: I was an intern in pediatrics!

What has changed: Technology! When I was a new attending, we used typewriters and carbon paper, Index Medicus, and paper charts! Our pagers were all voice pagers!

Cynthia Lewis

Radiology-Diagnostic

Favorite memory: Meeting so many different people from so many different backgrounds.

What has changed: Xray Fileroom, the Technology

Funny story: We had a softball team that played against other departments. And I was playing the outfield and I was backing up to catch the ball and fell into a pool of water. And we all laughed the rest of the evening.

Mary Hayden

Clinical Pathology-Core Lab

Favorite memory: Moving to the new lab on the 5th floor of the cancer center.

First job: working in the Chemistry/Microscopy lab at Upstate

What has changed: Alot of the testing has changed, new analyzers, tests changing from manual methods to instrumentation

Barbara Lindenmayer

Pediatrics

Thirty-five years is a long time. I actually started at Upstate in 1985 as an ICU nurse in the newly opened pediatric ICU. I worked nights with a great crew. I think all of them have retired by now, but we shared a comradery that I will treasure forever. It is by far my favorite memory of my time here at Upstate. Without a doubt what has changed the most during my career is the size of Upstate Medical Center as reflected in the addition of University to the name. The campus has expanded enormously! In hindsight the amount of energy and planning that allowed this to happen has been amazing!

Michelle Sisso

Procedural Float Pool

Favorite memory: I cannot identify any one favorite memory here at Upstate. I have taken care of and worked with so many wonderful people that I have many favorite memories!

First job: My first job at Upstate was as a brand new grad on 6A which at the time was a General Medicine Telemetry floor.

What has changed: Besides the obvious, growth, improvements in the institution’s physical appearance and advancement of technology, I believe, the most notable change has been the focus on continued growth of community outreach with seemingly heartfelt support from Upstate personnel on all levels.

Tammy Blackburn

Imt-Rev Cycle & Training

Favorite memory: The promotion to IMT was the most exciting career moment. It was a large promotion and would enable me to utilize my skills with computer systems.

First job: Outpatient biller in Finance using typewriters for paper billing

What has changed: I watched paper files go to dummy terminals and now to laptops and pcs with so much information available at your fingertips.

Funny story: Not really funny but the most fun day I had was after we converted from paper files to our first AS400 system in Finance we had a Groundhogs Day party to celebrate. Everyone got a groundhog badge to wear, we brought food and there were silly Groundhogs Day themed games for candy bars and it was just a fun day for the entire department. The 1992 equivalence of a departmental retreat.

Colleen Henderson

Radiology-Administration

Favorite memory: I can’t name a favorite. Have had many good experiences.

First job: Working the night shift in Diagnostic XR.

What has changed: Breast imaging over the years.

Marlene Z. Hawley

Radiology

Favorite memory: My favorite memory would be the first five years of my employment when my office was hospital based at UH. Going to work each day was an adventure!

First job: My first job at Upstate was to enter exam charges with a light pen, better known today as a stylus pen.

What has changed: Technology and the expansion of Upstate. We are everywhere these days!

Funny story: A story or fact would be that I still have my original stapler from my first day of employment on June 23, 1986. It's been with me at 5 different office and building locations over my 35 years. Talk about "Office Space", it does happen to be a Swingline but it's not Red!

Catherine Collins

Radiology

I can't believe that I have worked in Radiology for the past 38 years as of this October. I began working at Upstate in October of 1983, fresh out of Xray school from Elmira, NY. Mr. Doug Kemme was so kind to take me on as an "outsider" of the Upstate school and take a chance on a youngster like me! What a lucky girl I was. This amazing opportunity lead me through a career advancement as night Xray technologist for 6 months to a CT scan technologist at Upstate for the next 3.5 years. I was so fortunate to have networked with the best physicians/technologists/administrators, etc. that my career finally led me to new career, learning the very first MRI system to Central New York at 550 Harrison Center back in 1984 ( I learned MRI and worked part time at 550 HC while maintaining my CT position at Upstate).

I finally left Upstate and obtained a manager position at 550 Harrison Center where I continue to perform as an MRI technologist today. I am looking forward to 2 more years and hopefully retiring and enjoying some much-deserved down time.

I have seen so many changes over the years, especially in the technology, but also in patient care. My favorite part of my job has always been the interaction with my patients! This aspect will be very difficult for me to leave behind when I do retire, but I have also had a most gratifying career.

I have met some truly wonderful people along the way, famous to humble and all in all, everyone still feels pain the same way and needs our compassion and empathy and I have tried my best to offer this to all my patients. I am very proud of my career and thankful for all Upstate has offered me and am looking forward to my future ventures!

View Full list of 2021 Honorees

Share Congratulations, Memories & Moments

A special thank you to the following sponsors for their generous contributions:

Advocates of Upstate Medical University
MedBest Medical Management, Inc.
Office of the President

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