Laura Robinson, administrator of the emergency department, was awarded the Gold U for the third quarter.
Colleague Alisa Seidler, who nominated her for the award, praised Robinson’s skill, dedication and ability to motivate her staff.
“She truly sees the business end of the spectrum,” Seidler said in her nomination letter. “However, at the same time she does not forget about the human aspect of running the department.”
Team milestone
As Robinson noted, her Gold U honor comes at a unique time, with the emergency department recently celebrating its millionth patient since the merger.
“I think that speaks to the dedication of the people in the department. It’s an honor to be part of that team. These are the types of things that make me love my job – to be able to work with people I enjoy being with every day, but also to see all the growth and participate in that.”
Robinson has been at UNMC for 26 years, originally as a staff secretary in gastroenterology and hepatology. She moved over to emergency medicine 21 years ago, and she has been excited and proud to watch the department grow over that time — from a section to a department that has recently seen its millionth patient since the merger of University Hospital and Clarkson Hospital.
Robert Muelleman, M.D., chair of emergency medicine, praised Robinson’s ability to handle change in her 16 years as administrator of the department.
“Going from a small section with seven faculty and an emergency department (ED) that saw about 24,000 patients a year, to a department with over 20 faculty staffing two EDs that sees over 60,000 patients a year took a lot of administrating,” he said.
“From recruiting and hiring numerous faculty every year, to consolidating the old Clarkson and University hospital EDs, to starting a new residency in Emergency Medicine, to becoming a new Department of Emergency medicine at UNMC, to starting a bench research lab, and administering NIH grants, Laura has been there every step of the way.
“Without her administrative skills, I don’t think we would have accomplished so much so fast,” he said.
Robinson had always wanted to work in higher education, and when she arrived at UNMC, she knew she’d found the right place, especially with her shift to emergency medicine, where she’s served in various capacities before becoming administrator.
What does she like about it?
“It’s the team, the people, the relationships we have, and just the growth of the department,” she said. “There’s always something different happening, and people work really well together.”
Robinson especially appreciates that the ED is a safety net for patient care in the community, and that the physicians and other team members skillfully care for everyone that crosses the threshold.
“I really have a lot of respect for our care providers and our entire team,” she said. “It’s just a tremendous team to work with.”
Well deserved.
Congrats Laura!!! Glad you have been with UNMC so long and dedicated to th ED. I remember sitting across from your office years ago when you weren't an administrator and you worked very hard then. You are a very devoted person!!