Davett Scully Wins 2022 ESPRIT Award!

“You must always put yourself in someone else’s place. This will allow you to give that person the best care.”

As a scheduler, Davett is charged with an ongoing challenge of navigating a landscape that is in a perpetual state of flux—making sure that patients are seen, that all visit paperwork and protocols are in place, and that clinicians are supported and not overwhelmed, despite the last-minute schedule challenges that are an inherent part of the job. “Although we have a huge team, Davett is always aware of each team member’s workload and schedule,” raves one clinician. “Whenever I am overwhelmed with visits, somehow Davett will be aware, and she will call and check if I need help. When I am low in cases, she will arrange new evaluations for me automatically. When I have planned vacations, Davett will arrange coverages for me in advance so I can explain the plan to patients prior to my time off.”

For Davett, the professional perks are personal as well. “I will always remember one distraught patient, Mrs. R., who would call me crying every other day,” she says. “I’d make sure that we had authorization, that her visits were scheduled the day before, and that she was introduced beforehand to her three nurses for continuity and consistency of care. She is now back on her feet and doing well. I feel a real sense of accomplishment knowing that I helped with her healing. VNS Health has some of the best nurses. I love working with them, and being there to support them when they are having a bad day and just need to talk.”

Davett has teamwork down to a science: “First thing in morning, before 7:30, we schedulers greet each other via TigerConnect to discuss the clinicians’ schedules, and who needs help with cases and who are low in cases. This allows us to reach out to the clinicians early and have them cover a different area if necessary. We huddle again at 10:30 a.m. and then at 2:00 p.m. daily to give updates on what the mornings are like, and to prepare for the next few hours.”

A natural multitasker, Davett credits her skills with growing up in a large, hardworking family. “We had our chores before we left for school and when we got home. I was taught to work hard, no matter what kind of job you had, and do it to the best of your ability. To be kind, respectful, to speak the truth, and to always put yourself in someone else’s place. When you work for a healthcare organization, you must always put yourself in someone else’s place. This will allow you to give that person the best care—whether you’re working in the field or in the back office.”