Published: Nov. 8, 2016
As Catering Manager in Sparrow’s Department of Food and Nutrition, Jim Long’s overarching goal is to present a favorable image of the hospital.
“My approach,” Long says, “is to always make sure that everything I do leaves Sparrow reflected in a positive light.”
According to the eight fellow Caregivers who nominated him for the December Caregiver Spotlight honor, Long never falls short of that goal.
Marc Reed wrote: “Jim is an exceptional example of the Sparrow Way and the kind of service Sparrow delivers. I have worked with him on various events and projects, and he is extremely reliable, easy to work with, thorough, and hard-working.”
Tina Gross added: “Jim takes ownership, and represents the organization at every event with pride and professionalism. He is truly a Caregiver who needs to be in the Spotlight.”
Long, who grew up in Lansing, has been a Sparrow Caregiver for 24 years. In his current role, he arranges all the catering needs - from food, to flowers - for Sparrow’s special events and functions such as Caregiver Christmas parties and the opening of new units.
“It’s very rewarding work,” he says. “It allows me to be creative in many different ways.”
Long’s creativity and attention to detail have not gone unnoticed. In her nominating letter, Christina Hughes wrote:
“Jim and his team have a great reputation at Sparrow, and after the Baldrige Site Visit, some of Jim's recipes are now famous nationally as the national examiners on site requested several recipes because they were that impressed with the food during their time at Sparrow.”
Long says he couldn’t do it without the help and support of the people around him: “It’s a real team effort and we have a great team.&rdquo