SHELTON, WA – Mason Health’s Supply Chain Technician Kevin Rudge is known throughout the District for his cheery disposition as he makes his way throughout the hospital, clinics and off-site offices, picking up and dropping off mail and parcels at various departments. He willingly assumes additional tasks where he can and is highly motivated to complete his runs, even in cold and wet or hot and dry weather conditions. For these reasons and more, Mason Health employees have nominated and selected him as the February 2024 Employee of the Month.

“Kevin is an invaluable asset to our organization,” said his nominator, Kris Davies, Mason Health’s KPO Specialist. “He displays a strong work commitment and dedication to our Mission, Vision and Values. Although he is continuously on the move, he always delivers with a smile and takes time to wish you a good day.”

Rudge spent the first 47 years of his life in London, England, where he was born. After graduating from secondary school, he worked for British Airways for five years in their computer department. When he wanted a break from that, he decided to see the United States via Greyhound bus. He traveled for four months from New York City to Las Vegas. Returning to England after his travels, he worked as a courier driver, then office manager for a transport company, for a total of six years. He then worked for 20 years as the transport manager for another company.

Rudge’s trajectory toward living in the United States began when he met his future wife, Margaret, at the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival in Ireland, one of the largest matchmaking festivals in the world. For the past 165 years, tens of thousands of singles descend to the small Irish village of Lisdoonvarna. Rudge and Margaret, an American from Pennsylvania who was in Ireland with her mom and sisters to look into their ancestry, hit it off and began long-distance dating. In 2005, Rudge came to the United States.

The couple lived near the Grand Canyon and worked for the National Park Service’s authorized concessioner; Margaret worked in Human Resources and Rudge worked as a warehouse supervisor. In 2015, they started the Grand Canyon Soap Company, which became popular among celebrities and musicians. Before the pandemic hit, the company was up to 1,000 bars of soap delivered every month.

“I didn’t know anything about soap,” Rudge recalled. “I was delivering soaps to local shops, and I thought, ‘I could learn this.’ So, I learned how to make soap.”

After four years, the couple decided they wanted to be closer to some of Margaret’s family. She transferred to a remote working job based in Seattle and the couple moved to Grapeview. Rudge started at Mason Health two years ago.

“I was looking for something local,” he said. “This is good for me. It keeps me out and about, moving around. Everyone is so nice who works here.”

Rudge spends his free time traveling with his wife and building their custom home.

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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