May 15, 2009

Melodye Thomas, outpatient appeals coordinator, received the 2009 Diversity Recognition Award from The Johns Hopkins University Diversity Leadership Council. She was recognized for celebrating and embracing diversity both at Johns Hopkins Bayview and in her community.

An active member of the Medical Center’s Diversity Council, Thomas has been a driving force in disabilities awareness at Johns Hopkins Bayview. The goal of this program is to prepare an environment in which these future employees can work and thrive alongside their co-workers in our workplace. Last year, Thomas coordinated a job-shadowing day for individuals from the Department of Rehabilitative Services. Several departments sponsored each visitor, allowing them to learn about the types of jobs and skills required to work in their field. It also was a great opportunity to network with others in the health care arena. As a follow up, Thomas is organizing an accommodations fair this spring, which will feature vendors and organizations who will talk with managers about low cost ways to support and assist employees with disabilities.

Her commitment to diversity and inclusion does not stop at the doors of Johns Hopkins Bayview. In addition to volunteering at Trinity Lutheran School and with the Harford County NAACP, Thomas fundraises and assists in packing supplies for Doctors for United Medical Missions (DrUMM) to support medical missions in Africa.

An excerpt from Thomas’s nomination says, “The determination to give her very best at work extends to her service on the Johns Hopkins Bayview Diversity Council, which positively impacts our employees and patients because she serves. It is inspiring to see how she reaches beyond our campus to schools in Maryland and into the community, enriching the lives of both employees and students because of her commitment to civility, respect and inclusion at all levels and in all communities.”