SHELTON, WA – Whenever anyone needs her, Candi Hilyard makes a point to be there.

Hilyard, a technician with Environmental Services at Mason Health, was named the September 2021 Employee of the Month. Ever since she joined Mason Health’s team in November 2015, she has loved working here. For the past three years, her primary role has been to oversee all the linens throughout Mason General Hospital and Mason Health’s clinics. Everyone at Mason Health appreciates the care, kindness and forethought that Hilyard brings to her position.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, Candi began to stock the MRI patient garments cabinet, without asking,” said Hilyard’s nominator, Tracey Fredrick, Development Specialist, who worked in Diagnostic Imaging, MRI, during the pandemic. “They were neatly stacked and folded, ready for us to use at any moment. We did not ask her to do this. Not only that, she started dropping off blankets, sheets and pillowcases so that we would be stocked for our day. If she had a moment she would ask if that was enough, and if we needed more, she ran to get them – without hesitation. She’s done this ever since. These acts of kindness, discernment and forethought are clear examples of Mason Health’s core values of Service excellence and building Relationships.”

Hilyard grew up in Bremerton and graduated from Bremerton High School Class of 1988. She raised three children and later attended Olympic College and Western Washington University. She graduated from Olympic College in 2007 with a secretarial and bookkeeping degree and from Western Washington with a Human Services degree in 2009.

While attending school and raising her family, Hilyard worked for a private company cleaning residences and businesses. With this background, she looked for a position in Shelton that would utilize her experience. She found Mason Health.

“I wanted to find the best place to work in my area and Mason Health sounded like a good place,” she said. “I love working here. It’s fantastic. Everyone is really friendly.”

Environmental Services is not as easy as some people might think, Hilyard said.

“People might think, ‘Oh you just clean stuff,’ but it’s harder than you think,” she said. “There’s a lot more to do. We’ve got regulations to follow, certain guidelines to follow and certain chemicals that have to be used a certain way. It gets tricky sometimes. Everything changes from time to time and we have to keep up with new regulations.”

Hilyard enjoys bowling and plays with her husband in the Newcomers League at West Side Lanes in Olympia. They enjoy going to the casino and spending time with their children and seven grandchildren. Mason Health, Public Hospital District No. 1 of Mason County, is certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and is a licensed and accredited acute care hospital with a level four emergency trauma designation. There are more than 100 physicians on staff in 19 specialties. For more information or to find a health care provider, visit www.MasonGeneral.com.

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