Family Ties Enhance Thompson’s Close-Knit Feel

Despite having grown from 1,400 to over 1,900 associates within the past decade – becoming the largest employer in the county – Thompson has managed to maintain its close-knit feel.

And while you’ll often hear associates say their colleagues are like family, for some, they actually are family.

In fact, when our Office of Corporate Communications decided to do a special Mother’s Day series on our social media channels this past May, there was no shortage of moms with adult children working at Thompson to feature. With a theme of “Mother Knows Best,” the series focused on several moms who encouraged their kids to start their careers within our health system.

Former Thompson candy striper Patti Schultz has been working as a driver at our independent and assisted living communities of Ferris Hills at West Lake and Clark Meadows since 2017. At times, she would enlist daughter Erika Murdaugh to volunteer during the activities.

“I loved the environment, staff, and the residents. When an opening came for a transportation driver in 2021, I was so excited and applied right away. Then I started helping in the kitchen as a wait staff person for Clark Meadows, and absolutely fell in love with the residents. After two years, I am still serving one or two nights; it is the highlight of my week,” said Erika, whose maternal grandmother started the family legacy within Thompson, working in our Central Sterile Department for many years before retiring in 1983.

In addition to parents and their adult children, there are a number of siblings working within the health system. They include Jaclyn, Lauren, and Ashley Bell.

Jaclyn and Lauren both work per diem as patient care technicians while pursuing degrees as physician assistants at Le Moyne College and Daemen University, respectively. Toward the end of her high school junior year in 2022, youngest sister Ashley joined our Nutrition Services Department. She is now beginning her freshman year at Nazareth College, with plans to become a speech pathologist.

“I’m super happy my sisters decided to work at Thompson because it encouraged me to get a job at the hospital,” she said. “We all look forward to going to work and are thankful for the jobs we have and that we are able to help our community!”

While the Bells all work in the hospital, twin sisters Laurie Krise and Lynette McLoud both work in our  M.M. Ewing Continuing Care Center. Laurie started as a certified nursing assistant in 1987. Four years later, when Lynette wasn’t having much luck in finding a secretarial position in the community, Laurie encouraged Lynette to join her in working as a CNA. Now, Laurie is the facility’s nursing staff coordinator, while Lynette is its clinical reimbursement specialist.

“We carpool every week, taking turns, which is great; it saves on vehicles and gas,” Lynette said, noting that it’s nice, after a long day, to have her sister to talk to on the way home.

And although both have busy work days, they typically eat lunch together with a few of their coworkers. “Our husbands say we see each other so much at work and talk all day, how is it that we can talk to each other so much when we are not at work?” Laurie said.

But Laurie and Lynette aren’t the only members of their family within Thompson; they have a cousin and also a niece in the operating room, plus Lynette’s daughter-in-law is a unit secretary in the Continuing Care Center.

Likewise, sisters Mary Kate Corey and Shannon McCarthy-Leone have a niece working in our Pharmacy.

Currently our nursing director for the ICU, Observation Unit, and Diagnostic Imaging, Mary Kate joined Thompson in 2007. She had grown up inspired by Shannon, who is older and encouraged her along her nursing journey. When our longtime Birthing Center director decided to retire, Mary Kate encouraged Shannon to apply.

Shannon had worked at larger health systems in the region for 30 years, also serving as a nursing instructor, and knew Mary Kate and others had good things to say about Thompson. She also knew – based on a Nurses’ Week event she attended at the hospital when Mary Kate received an award – how much the health system values its associates.

Now the two sisters work alongside each other in hospital leadership.

“It is so wonderful to see her throughout the day at meetings and to have the opportunity to learn from each other,” Mary Kate said. “I am so thankful that our professional journeys brought us both to Thompson - I'm so lucky to have her here!”

Shannon feels lucky, too. She enjoys seeing her younger sister in action, appreciates having a trusted colleague who will not sugarcoat things, and gets to enjoy special moments like the time she was working Christmas Eve and Mary Kate delivered her favorite cookies. They also get laughs out of the fact that they resemble each other and have similar voices, which occasionally confuses other staff members within the hospital.

“Nothing is better than being mistaken for your younger, smarter sister,” Shannon joked.

“There is something great here at Thompson,” she added. “I only wish I had come sooner!” 

To become part of our Thompson family, check out our current openings at www.ThompsonHealth.com/Careers.