Mary Stortroen is RiverView’s 2019 Employee of the Year
Mary Stortroen is adored by RiverView Care Center residents and staff. She goes above and beyond every day in her role as a CNA at the Crookston facility. Proof of her dedication and exceptional care lies in pages of nominations that recently garnered Stortroen RiverView’s 2019 Employee of the Year award.
Not only is Stortroen the 2019 Employee of the Year, but she is also RiverView’s only employee to receive the Employee of the Month honor twice; she first received the award in March 2016 and again in August 2019.
This is a big year for Stortroen, as she will celebrate her 40th anniversary with RiverView in August. Over the years, she has worked at RiverView as a CNA, trained medical aide, and Rehab aide.
A Warren native, Stortroen and husband Allen live in Crookston. The couple has three grown children: Nicole (Brad) Nelson, Tanya (Nate) Roppel, and Travis (Lynsie). They also have six granddaughters, two grandsons, and one great-grandson.
“I feel very blessed to receive this award,’’ Stortroen shared. “I have the best co-workers to work with. They work very hard to ensure the best quality of care is given to our residents.’’
Below are just a few of the comments sent in Stortroen’s honor:
“I have worked with Mary at RiverView for all of the 22 years I have been with this organization. She exemplifies what a good employee is as she is dependable, reasonable, and a very hard worker. She is always kind and compassionately goes way above any expectation when caring for all of our residents. Mary doesn’t need to be asked to do anything. She’s self-motivated and a clear leader in the department. Mary is our go-to person to orient other staff and she is happy to do so. Her experiences are such a benefit when there are problems because she has insight only longevity at RiverView can provide.’’ – Nicky Johnson, Care Center
“One of our employees at the Care Center stated: ‘I can’t tell you how many times Mary has been willing to pick me up before my 6 am shift or pick up a shift when I’ve been ill.’ Not only does she care about her residents, she also cares about her coworkers. She treats us like family and has always been there. She is truly the best. RiverView Care Center greatly relies on Mary to orient new employees to our facility, and she works diligently with new staff to ensure they receive exceptional training. Mary shines at following resident care plans and always addresses potential safety concerns. She truly cares about the quality of life of each resident and Mary can always be found doing something for the residents. When the residents are preparing for an event or outing Mary offers her volunteer time to come and help with styling hair.’’ – Kelly Beiswenger, Care Center
“Mary serves as a great role model as she has worked at RiverView for 40 years and that is something to look up to. She completes her charting and gives a thorough report making sure residents are getting the best care they can and she’s an amazing trainer with all of her years of experience. She gives exceptional care without a doubt. I have had the pleasure to work with her almost every day for four years and it has made my daily routine better because of her positive attitude and superior work ethic.’’ – Ramona Kaiser, Care Center
Pictured above: RiverView’s 2019 Employee of the Year Mary Stortroen and RiverView Vice President of Ancillary Services Lance Norman.