Neurosurgery residency coordinator Neria Douglass has been named winner of the first Outstanding Service Award for 2021. Neria was awarded this honor based on extraordinary contributions to the department, both before and during the pandemic.
Always an exacting job, coordinating the many details of the residency program became exponentially more difficult during Covid-19. Like so many in the department, Neria pivoted to remote work starting in March 2020. Since residency is an in-person, hands-on role, Neria faced multiple hurdles coordinating the program from a home office. From the 2020 Match Day and onboarding new residents and managing virtual graduation details last summer, through recruiting candidates for interviews and managing them through the interview and match process for 2021, and culminating in Match Day 2021 and an in-person graduation this month, Neria handled all the details smoothly and professionally. She never missed a beat, even as her husband’s job required a move out of state during her pregnancy with their second child.
"Neria was a partner in the truest sense of the word in helping us transition our neurosurgical education and resident recruitment and interviews onto Zoom," says Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield, Vice Chair for Academic Affairs and associate director of the residency program. "She did such a great job, we may never return to the old system! I am sure I speak for all the residents and faculty when I say that she simply has been invaluable: becoming a part of our residency fabric, sharing in our milestones, and preparing for the future. I can't think of anyone more worthy of this recognition!"
The Neurosurgery Outstanding Service Award spotlights members of the department who go above and beyond their assigned duties and recognizes those who exemplify the core values of the department. Neria’s nomination praised her for exemplifying the values of Perseverance, Collegiality, and Integrity. “Like Ginger Rogers, who danced every step Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels, Neria accomplished everything required of her job, but from 200 miles away and while expecting,” her nominator said. “She did it with her usual good humor and unflappable manner, despite extraordinary circumstances.”
Nominations are open for the next recipient of the Neurological Surgery Outstanding Service Award. Please fill out the online form to nominate deserving colleagues.
