Hunterdon Health January Employee of the Month - Lynda Hesse, RD

We are pleased to announce our January 2024 Employee of the Month is Lynda Hesse, RD, Clinical Nutrition Manager with the Nutrition Services Department.

Here are a few highlights from Lynda’s nominations:

• Lynda truly exemplifies the core values of Hunterdon Health and has done so for 20 years. She demonstrates a love for her job responsibilities as well as compassion and concern for our patients and employees. She spends her days completing nutritional assessments and providing diet education to patients throughout the hospital. She oversees the dietitians, diet technicians and clinical clerks in our department and will often fill positions when we are short staffed.
• When two clerks started in their new roles, Lynda took the initiative to ensure that the clerk training guide was up to date as it was crucial for them to know all the responsibilities that come with the role. She collaborated with our Senior Dietitian to do this. Lynda participates on many committees and relates information back to her staff as appropriate.
• On a daily basis Lynda demonstrates a strong work ethic, through both collaborations with her fellow employees and communicating concerns and praise about others. Lynda has a great rapport with nurses, physicians, pharmacists and our department staff and always finds the time to accommodate questions and concerns. She serves as a mentor for students in multiple dietetic programs to assure that they receive excellent experiences while here.
• Lynda has a passion for culinary arts and has shown this in numerous ways over her years with HMC. In the past she participated in many events and fairs. During National Nutrition Month and at other times she has spearheaded obtaining food donations for our local food bank. Recently, she volunteered her time to do an herb and seasoning presentation at the Sapphire & Sequins event.
• Lynda has been the lead dietitian for our Ornish Program for about 8 years and has embraced this role fully by learning the program's guidelines and teaching the cohorts about vegan and very low fat diet recipes. She has gone above and beyond by shopping for Ornish friendly foods to bring in to show the participants and collaborates with Chef Ross on the program menu changes over the years.
• As her upward leader, I know that I can rely on Lynda and her team to ensure the patients’ nutritional needs are met while they are here. Her attendance is impeccable and she often puts in extra hours to assure that everything is covered. Lynda is a true asset and professional on our Nutritional Services team.