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I am Penn State Health: Stephen Caldwell

Since starting his job as inventory management specialist when Penn State Health Lime Spring Outpatient Center opened in Lancaster, Stephen Caldwell jokes that he doesn’t need to go to the gym, he just goes to work.

As the one-person department responsible for ordering, receiving and delivering supplies for the entire building, he is in “perpetual motion,” he says.

 

This is the Best Part of Working at Penn State Health

I like what I do, where I’m doing it and the people I’m doing it with. They’re outstanding people who are so appreciative and helpful.

A Typical Day Looks Like This

I call it “connecting the dots.” I might have to do some investigative work to know what to order and then when it arrives, I have to sort, deliver and dispense items. I may handle 30 to 40 boxes in a day. It’s a very physical job.

My Part in the Big Picture

Supplies are needed, and if our staff doesn’t have them when they are needed, it impacts the quality of care and level of patient care. I feel I’m an integral part of patient care.

Coping During COVID

The biggest challenge was and is ordering medical supplies, especially personal protective equipment, that aren’t readily available. Communicating with the vendor and the customer service representative has been the most effective way of ensuring adequate levels of stock.

Favorite Project

When we were getting Lime Spring ready to open in January 2019, I was excited to be part of building something from the ground up, to create something out of nothing. The first several months were challenging because supplies were coming in by the dozens, and they all had to be organized. 

How I Spend my Free Time

My wife and I like to travel, hike and bike, and we like the arts. I also volunteer for a cat trap-neuter/spay program.

Three Things I Can’t Live Without

  1. My wife
  2. Good health
  3. Compassion

Surprise!

I’m a vegetarian. I haven’t eaten any meat or dairy for a long time.

What Others Say About Stephen

“He is the go-to person for everything Lime Spring. When he started in November 2018, he needed no direction to be part of the team to get the building ready for go-live.”

~ Jeannette Gibbs, senior vice president for ambulatory services, Penn State Health Medical Group

This is Why I’m Proud to Work Here

I’m a graduate of Penn State, and it’s an honor to be working with a place that has such a good reputation. It’s something you can feel good about at the end of the day.

Caldwell, right, points a finger and laughs as Diane Bournelis, a senior administrative assistant, leans over, laughing, in an office at Lime Spring Outpatient Center. He is wearing a polo shirt with the Penn State Health logo on it, a name badge and a face mask. Bournelis is wearing a sweater, pants and face mask. A desk with a computer monitor is behind Caldwell.

Caldwell, right, jokes with Diane Bournelis, a senior administrative assistant, while making rounds at Lime Spring Outpatient Center.

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