Blue Coat Ambassadors stand ready to help staff, patients and guests at any time. Stationed at hospital entrances and busy areas, they are the first to provide outstanding customer service. Meet a few of AU Health’s dedicated and beloved Blue Coats.
Thelma Jones
Name: Thelma Jones
Locations: Professional Office Building 1, Entrance A
Years of Service: 15
What do you love about your job? Meeting all of the people who come in every day and getting to know all the people.
What has been your most memorable moment as a Blue Coat Ambassador? One lady came in on a rideshare service. They dropped her off out front. I was just walking around outside and I saw her sitting on the bench. She said, “Please get me a wheelchair because I don’t think I can make it inside.” I didn’t have any, so I told her I’d have to go try to locate one. I had to go up to the second floor and I got her a wheelchair. She was really weak. I got her upstairs and they saw her. I took her back out to get a rideshare to take her home. She came back like three days later and she was in tears. She said, “I just want to thank you so much. You really helped me. I didn’t know what I was going to do, how I was going to get in. You were just an angel.” I said, “Not necessarily. I was just doing my job, but thanks.” She came by herself and she was really sick, and the rideshare driver just dropped her off. I was in the right place at the right time. But that’s why we do what we do.
Tim Aldrich
Name: Tim Aldrich
Locations: Georgia Cancer Center
Years of Service: 8
What do you love about your job? I help out people every hour of every day. It makes you feel good to come in here and make their life a little bit better. I’m known as the singing greeter, and people smile and laugh, and everyone has a better time. That’s why I do it, just to make them feel a little bit better.
What has been your most memorable moment as a Blue Coat Ambassador? Well, when I was a security guard, I got kicked in the face once [laughs], but I wouldn’t say I have any one great story. There are always new things I learn or new ways to do things. I’m always learning, always related to the job and continue to be a student of life.
Joseph Looney
Name: Joseph Looney
Locations: Medical Office Building, other locations as needed
Years of service: 13
What do you love about your job? The relationships that you get to build with the people that come here. That’s probably the best thing. It’s definitely the people, the conversations, the comfort level that you bring them.
What has been your most memorable moment as a Blue Coat Ambassador? It wasn’t necessarily part of the job, but for a couple of years they had Christmas parties. I was able to help out during that. It was on the fifth floor, and it was for just (the MOB) side. The hospital had their own thing. For a couple of years I got to kind of build that up with a couple of workers upstairs. I that that was just a really fun time. To see people’s faces when they got up there in front of the food and the decorations and everything. No other day was like that during the year.
Jamaal Francois
Name: Jamaal Francois
Locations: Anywhere they need me!
Years of service: 5 years
What do you love about your job? Being able to help people.
What has been your most memorable moment as a Blue Coat Ambassador? Sometimes you meet people that have been frustrated because they’re lost. When you’re able to take them where they need to be and can leave your desk to help them out, it makes them feel a lot better. I can see the relief on their face, especially during a stressful time.
Deborah Rainey
Name: Deborah Rainey
Location: Entrance A, Children’s Hospital of Georgia
Years of Service: 5 years in Environmental Services, 4 years as Blue Coat Ambassador
What do you love about your job? Meeting people and helping patients and families.
What has been your most memorable moment as a Blue Coat Ambassador? When the cancer patients came in, there was one that they featured, a little girl that they always featured. I got to meet her and take a picture with her. She was just so sweet.
