SHELTON — Long-time Mason Health employee Shelby Powell, CNA, is known for going above and beyond in her patient care as a certified nursing assistant on the Medical-Surgical-Pediatrics floor at Mason General Hospital. She is also known throughout the organization as an employee willing to go above and beyond in representing Mason Health, from offering up blood pressure checks during Allyn Days to participating in and organizing Mason Health’s holiday float for Shelton’s annual Kristmastown Kiwanis parade. Powell’s sincerity and her efforts to make every one of her coworkers feel included, empowered and united are major reasons why her peers have selected her as the October 2023 Employee of the Month.

Powell grew up in Shelton, having moved to town when she was 2, and graduated from Shelton High School in 1993. She spent her early career working as a certified nursing assistant at a couple different local assisted living facilities and nursing homes, after spending a summer in high school taking care of a family friend. That experience showed her she had a gift for caring for others.

“I was kind of put into this field,” Powell recalled. “My mom’s friend’s mother was older and I would take care of her all summer. My mom’s friend told me I had a knack for this. I love hearing people’s stories, and hearing about their lives and how things used to be. Patients get divorced and married again and you get to hear all of it.”

Powell always knew she wanted to work at Mason General Hospital and finally joined the team in 2004. She loves being with her patients and especially feels called to be with people when they are passing on.

“My biggest fear is anyone dying alone,” she said. “If you have someone with you, it’s not as scary. It is rewarding in its own way to be with someone at the end.”

Powell enjoys her team at Mason Health. She recently joined a committee dedicated to evaluating nurse staffing and she has big plans for this year’s holiday parade.

“We all work well together,” she said. “The doctors, the CNAs, the nurses — no one puts themselves above anyone else. We’re all No. 1. We’re all friends and we can tell each other anything.”

When not working, Powell loves to spend time with her three grown children and five grandchildren. She’s recently taken up golfing and is eager to learn more.

Mason Health, Public Hospital District No. 1 of Mason County, is celebrating 55 years of serving patients and the community this year. Mason Health is ISO 9001 Quality Management System certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and is a licensed and accredited acute care hospital with a level four emergency trauma designation. Mason General Hospital and Mason Clinic are ENERGY STAR® certified and Mason Health is the recipient of three Practice Greenhealth Partner for Change Awards and a Greening the OR Environmental Excellence Award. There are more than 100 physicians on staff in 19 specialties. For more information or to find a health care provider, visit www.masongeneral.com. To learn more about DNV, visit www.dnv.com/healthcare.

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