Alice Harris
Alice Harris By Sabryna Cornish
Alice Harris is known for helping people. In fact, her job depends upon it
Harris is the staffing coordinator in the Nursing Resource Office, a job that takes creativity and persistence.
Part of her job is make sure the 28 units in the hospital and clinics have enough nurses to take care of patients.
Harris, who has been doing the job at UIC for 10 years, says she loves it.
"It's never boring or dull or the same from day-to-day," she laughs. "It's exciting and it's innovating."
Those who work with Harris describe her as modest and caring.
"She performs her duties with care, paying strict attention to all details, and never leaves a task undone," said Shirley Knight, a patient unit clerk at the hospital.
"She will come in early and stay late to cover when a co-worker is absent or on vacation."
Mae Lant, director of patient care nursing services, said Harris' organizational skills and nature help patients and co-workers feel at ease.
"She lifts everyone's spirit with her smile and positive attitude toward work and the world in general," Lant said, "She is honest, kind and very professional."
The time-related challenges that Harris deals with each day can make her job a juggling act.
"It's a minute-by-minute challenge for Ms. Harris to meet all of the staffing requests that are made," said Nina Olesinski, associate chief nursing officer for clinical practice and assistant dean.
"In tight staffing situations all the involved parties get quite excited," Olesinski said.
"In her calm, reassuring manner, Ms. Harris is able to de-escalate these situations and resolve them in a win-win manner.”
Some of Harris' other duties include coordinating transportation for patients between hospitals and clinics, budgetary responsibilities and payroll and attendance records for more than 200 nurses.
Harris is an active member of the Valley Kingdom Ministries International, where she is on the scholarship committee.
"Alice's thirst for knowledge, understanding and harmony in all aspects of her life makes her not only invaluable as a co-worker, friend and mother but as a human being and child of God,” Stewart said.
Sometimes Harris takes to the road to relax -her husband, Eddie is an over-the-road truck driver and she knows how to drive a big rig herself.
She travels with him on the weekends and for a week each August.
"It's very relaxing." she said.
She has three grown children -Denise, a hospital nursing personal manager in Atlanta, Leo, a CPA at Sun Trust Bank in Atlanta, and Marvin, a Chicago police officer.
“On many occasions there have been situations where her kind, listening ear and genuine acknowledgement of others have contributed to improving staff morale,” said Yvette Roberts, policy and research analyst in nursing services.
"Her unwritten motto seems to be ‘going above and beyond the call of duty."