When there is a problem in healthcare, Yolanda Drayton is often the solution.
For more than four decades, Yolanda has been a force in the nursing field, starting on the medical surgical floor InterFaith Center in 1977 to her current role as a nurse educator with Americare.
In each role she has held, Yolanda has exemplified exemplary compassion, skills and service. It is only fitting that she is the 2023 recipient of the HCA Caring Award for her efforts to serve patients and teach the next generation of caregivers.
Yolanda first joined the home care side in 1991, desiring a more holistic nursing role, and she became a Field RN for Methodist Home Care. She eventually became a supervisor and later a director. Her favorite role as director was developing education programs for Certified Nursing Assistants, Home Care Nurses, and Home Health Aides.
She joined Americare in 2018 as a nurse educator for its enhanced HHA training program. Under her leadership and guidance, the program had graduation rates over 90%. Word spread quickly and other agencies began calling asking for their candidates to be placed in Yolanda’s class. She also mentored new education RNs in training techniques and engagement.
When COVID hit, Americare closed its training programs and pivoted to a new model focused on patient care, support and instructions for all patients, clinicians and aides. Yolanda was at the center of it all.
Americare worked with HCA to draft a proposal for NYS Department of Health for a Hybrid Training Program, which would allow utilization of technology for distance training. When DOH approved and Americare submitted an application, Yolanda was naturally the chosen RN to run the program.
She quickly moved forward into this unchartered territory and found new ways to make the online training more productive and enjoyable for her students. In her second Hybrid class, 90 percent of her students graduated and she recommended that Americare move forward with this new model.
Her experience as a clinician coupled with her vast administrative expertise has made her an invaluable resource to her organization and field at large. She is fully devoted to using her skills and talents to develop and train the next generation of caregivers.
It is not uncommon for home health aides to talk about their training from “Miss Yolanda” and her impact on their lives.
We all owe her a debt of gratitude and congratulate her on receiving this well-deserved award.