McLaughlin receives Gold U Award

When Kimberly McLaughlin became the administrator for the educational program in the UNMC Department of Surgery and Division of Education in 2019, she immediately began to learn all she could — about her responsibilities, the team she would oversee and the student rotations she would help coordinate.

As she began working within an administrative team to provide support to the chairman’s office and with a team of coordinators and program directors to oversee the general surgery residency program and the medical student surgical education clerkships, McLaughlin found innovative ways to electronically streamline work processes that were once done manually to improve communication and productivity.

For her innovation, commitment, work ethic and mentoring abilities, McLaughlin was named the December Gold U Award recipient.

“I am stunned to receive this award,” McLaughlin said. “Being honored with this award is a direct reflection of my teammates’ level of engagement and motivation to succeed. While we successfully function as a team, each teammate has their own distinctive skill set and knowledge base. They stand out individually for multiple reasons and each one has mentored me. I could not do any of what I do successfully without each and every one of them.”

Described as a selfless administrator who puts the needs of her team, the faculty and students she serves above her own, McLaughlin makes a point to help anyone who needs it.

One nominator said, “we can count on her for anything.”

And while McLaughlin sets high standards for her team, she does not expect anyone to do anything that she is not willing to do. She is mindful of the importance of work-life balance and encourages her team to cross-train so that every employee has adequate coverage and can feel confident in taking time off.

Said another nominator: “It is her team-first attitude and mentality that sets Kim apart.”