OKDHS Pittsburg County Staff Commended for Outstanding Service

OKLAHOMA CITY-- The Oklahoma Commission for Human Services today commended five Pittsburg County Oklahoma Department of Human Services staff members for their quick and potentially life-saving actions to assist an OKDHS client who was experiencing a medical trauma.
Donna Province, Monica Prater, Cathy Amason, Brenda Shackelford and Ken Province, received the honor during the Commission’s monthly meeting in Oklahoma City.

The commendations were presented by OKDHS Director Howard H. Hendrick. The honorees were congratulated by Richard L. DeVaughn, chairman of the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services.

On Sept. 15, 2009, an OKDHS client began having medical problems during an appointment. Prater, Donna Province, Amason, Shackelford and Ken Province all acted quickly and as a team to assess the client and render potentially lifesaving care. The patient’s condition was stabilized so she could be transported to a local hospital for treatment. Without their quick-thinking intervention, the client could have suffered fatal injuries due to a seizure. However, the client was successfully treated at the hospital because of their calm, caring and professional manner.

"Each of these dedicated individuals modeled outstanding initiative and exceptional compassion, not only to this client, but to countless citizens of the State of Oklahoma. On behalf of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, I hereby commend each of these employees for their actions in September 2009," Director Hendrick said.

These employees remained focused and calm in a situation that would have surely resulted in a much different outcome had they not been there and acted quickly and professionally, Chairman DeVaughn noted.

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