Olean, NY – Olean General Hospital (OGH), a Kaleida Health facility, announced that unit clerk Karla Zielinski earned the 2026 November Star Award. The monthly honor recognizes an employee who demonstrates outstanding performance, teamwork, and a commitment to patient care.

Why Zielinski Stood Out

Since joining OGH in 1992, Zielinski has been praised for her kindness, helpfulness, and patience. Her most recent act of advocacy involved a patient with a pacemaker who needed an MRI. Because the safety of the implant had to be verified, Zielinski spent several hours contacting hospitals in Florida to obtain the patient’s medical records. Her persistence ensured the implant was confirmed as MRI‑safe before the procedure could proceed.

“Karla consistently goes above and beyond to care for both patients and her team,” said a colleague who nominated her for the award. “Other colleagues have expressed gratitude for Karla’s help, describing her as kind, helpful and extremely patient throughout the process. Karla is a true patient advocate and imaging is blessed to have her.”

About the Star Award

The Star Award is presented each month to an OGH employee who exemplifies exceptional customer satisfaction, continuous performance improvement, ownership, accountability, and excellence. Recipients receive a paid day off, a certificate of recognition, and a designated parking spot.

Other nominees for recent Star Awards included Autumn Freer, RN (PACU); Julia Grandinetti, RN (second floor); Bethany Haynes, RN (third floor); and Abby Hill, RN (second floor).

Community Impact

Zielinski’s dedication reflects OGH’s broader mission to provide compassionate, high‑quality care to the Olean community. By going the extra mile for a single patient, she helped prevent a potentially dangerous delay in treatment and reinforced the hospital’s reputation for patient‑centered service.

Hospital leadership praised the award and highlighted the importance of recognizing staff who embody the values of teamwork and patient advocacy. “Our staff are the heart of OGH,” said a hospital spokesperson. “Stories like Karla’s remind us why we strive every day to put patients first and support one another as a family.”

Looking Ahead

The November Star Award serves as a reminder that everyday heroes walk the halls of OGH, from nurses and physicians to clerical staff. As OGH continues to serve Western New York, the hospital encourages all employees to nominate peers who demonstrate the same level of commitment and compassion.

Original reporting: WESB (Bradford) — read the source article.