Humankindness at Work: Shanda Kelly, EVS Tech

Shanda Kelly has met thousands of patients over the past seven years as an Environmental Services (EVS) Technician at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center. As she goes about her critical work maintaining a sanitary and safe hospital environment, she’s always attuned to the needs that go beyond the surface. She encounters patients in their most vulnerable moments, family members and loved ones grappling with fear and uncertainty, and situations that demand, at the most human level, limitless kindness and grace.

A Ministry of Compassion

"When I’m in a patient’s room, I talk to them," Shanda explained. "I ask how they’re doing, because many are scared. Sometimes, they cry, and in those moments, I just hug them. They – the patients, their spouses, their children – are going through so much." It's in these exchanges, amidst the meticulous task of sanitizing a bedside table or ensuring proper disposal of a waste bin, that Shanda’s technical role extends to offering vital compassion, connection and comfort. She understands that maintaining a sterile environment is paramount for physical health, but nurturing the spirit is equally essential for healing.

A Legacy of Faith and Resilience

Shanda's deep-rooted faith and instinctive empathy are a product of her resilient personality, her upbringing and the profound losses she has grieved. Having experienced the deaths of her son, her mother, and her husband, Shanda intimately knows the pain of fear and grief. “I feel their pain because I’ve been through it all,” she shared. Yet, through all the sorrow, she has found hope and joy, a light she feels called to bring to every patient’s bedside.

Every evening, as she prepares for the next day, she lifts a prayer of gratitude and expectancy. "I say to the Lord, ‘Whatever assignment you have for me tomorrow, I’m ready.’"

A Divine Assignment

One morning, that assignment arrived in the form of a patient struggling with medical uncertainties and fear. Shanda greeted him and asked how he was doing, as she systematically began her cleaning duties, ensuring he was comfortable and his room was pristine.

“I don’t know,” he responded quietly, his wife seated beside him, their faces etched with worry. 

“I told him, ‘Yes, you do know. You’re blessed, you’re good, and I don’t know if anyone has told you, but I love you.’”

The patient looked back at her in stunned silence, then surprised her by responding, “I love you, too.” 

As she disinfected surfaces and finished up her duties in his room, she told him to “stay focused, keep the faith, and to remember that God is a good God.”

And right before she left the patient’s room, he said to her, “I know who you are. You’re my angel. God put you in my life for a reason.”

Weeks later, after he had recovered and been discharged, the patient returned to the hospital to look for the EVS technician who had been his angel. “He threw his arms around me and said, ‘I’ll never forget you. I want you to know that I tell people I love them now, and I hug them. I was never like that until God put you in my life.’”

The Golden Rule

Shanda cherishes moments like those — encounters that affirm her life’s work and her purpose. These experiences are the fruit of generations of wisdom passed down from her parents and grandparents. “I was always taught to do unto others as I would have them do unto me,” she said. At its core, it’s a belief system rooted in humankindness and compassion, and it flows over into both her working relationships and her life outside of work.

Whether she’s diligently following strict environmental services protocols, supporting a fellow team member by offering encouragement or practical help, or spending quality time with her daughters and grandchildren, Shanda leads with genuine love. She approaches every task with a desire to lighten everyone’s burdens however she can. She is a diligent and meticulous EVS technician, ensuring proper room sanitation, waste disposal and infection control. And she is also a minister of compassion, an advocate for hope and a testament to the healing power of humankindness.

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