POMEROY––Garfield County Hospital District (GCHD) is proud to announce June's Employee of the Month, Christina Bales. She was nominated by her co-workers who stated, "She is a great asset to this facility."

Christina is originally from the beautiful city of Bonner's Ferry, Id., where she was born and raised. She graduated from Bonner's Ferry High School in 2001. Her hard work ethic began early in life. While still attending high school classes, she worked in a photo lab as a school project, developing pictures, which she enjoyed. She also held down two additional jobs during that time; a dishwasher position at Kootenai River and Casino, and was cross-trained to work as a waitress, cook, and dishwasher at a local restaurant.

She moved to the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley in 2006 to be near her sister. She began working as a caregiver through Alternative Nursing Services in Lewiston. It was here that she learned valuable skills while taking care of adults with disabilities, especially the virtue of patience, which benefited her in all aspects of life.

She admitted that she had not considered caregiving as an occupation until she started in this position. To her surprise she stated, "I loved it and was with them for eight years." During this time, she became interested in furthering her career and began taking classes through Walla Walla Community College to become a Certified Nursing Assistant, which she attained in September, 2014.

An opportunity arose with Sycamore Glen Adult Family Homes in Clarkston, where her skills and responsibilities increased, becoming Unit Manager in charge of scheduling, HR issues, and preparing the facility for state audits. She later worked for Elite Home Health & Hospice for two years but wanting to be closer to home and her young family, she accepted a part-time position with GCHD in February 2018.

Christina was soon recognized by her peers as being an outstanding employee who is "very hard working, always willing to help, always positive and has a great attitude." Striving to do her best she says, "The favorite part of my job is the residents and to be able to see them smile on a daily basis is my goal."

Her quality of work and level of care has not gone unnoticed by the nursing leadership. "Christina is very giving and compassionate with all patients, providing exceptional care. She picks up shifts when able to and is very knowledgeable with excellent skills. She shares this knowledge and skill when asked to orient new staff members. She is a great asset to this facility."

Her constant display of comradery and putting others first is one of her most respected attributes.

"She's amazing, kind-hearted and passionate with the residents, willing to drop whatever she's doing to help others. She is always willing to pick up extra shifts, take the last lunch, and goes the extra mile to make sure what's needed to get done on her shift gets done, even if it's not assigned to her. She's a great teammate."

Congratulations, Christina!