Local Lab Director Earns Tenet Healthcare’s National Heroes’ Hall of Fame Distinction

San Luis Obispo County, Calif. – Tenet Health Central Coast is proud to announce that Daphne Martin, Laboratory Director for both Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and Twin Cities Community Hospital, has been honored by its parent company, Tenet Healthcare, as part of its annual recognition program. Not only has Martin been recognized as a Tenet Hero, she has also earned the prestigious honor of being inducted into the Tenet Heroes’ Hall of Fame.

The Tenet Heroes program celebrates those individuals who make a meaningful impact within their communities that goes above and beyond their daily responsibilities. Nominated by leadership and/or fellow colleagues, Tenet Heroes exemplify the company’s core values and commitment to its mission of quality compassionate care for the community (https://tinyurl.com/TenetMission). 

Each year, a select few are chosen to be honored as part of the Tenet Heroes’ Hall of Fame, the Company’s most prestigious honor for employees. This year, 23 individuals or teams were named to the Hall of Fame, including Martin. Tenet has 60 Hospitals and over 500 Care Centers nationwide.

“With all the talk about heroes during the pandemic, my mind almost always comes back to a certain kind of hero: the unsung hero. With the Tenet Hero and Hall Of Fame recognition, I am proud to have a chance to sing the praises of Daphne Martin,” said Mark Lisa, CEO of Tenet Health Central Coast. “Daphne directs one of the invisible front lines of healthcare and she is one of the best. It is constantly challenging and even daunting, yet she excels in it with grace and humor. Her dedication to quality, safety, and our patients, is nothing less than inspiring.”  

Martin was recognized as a Tenet Hero and Hall of Fame winner for her work in many areas, including her internal leadership in bringing additional COVID-19 PCR testing in-house at Tenet Health Central Coast facilities in the early days of the pandemic, which was a tremendous undertaking because the testing was so new. Martin tasked her teams and leadership to learn how to accurately, appropriately and quickly interpret the results of this new test while navigating challenges that included supply chain gaps, surge volumes and varying resources. Her leadership was also a key reason Twin Cities’ lab received high praise after a recent Joint Commission full survey.

Not surprisingly, she’s very well respected by her peers.

“Daphne shows a level of respect for her colleagues and dedication to patient care that elevates those around her. Each laboratory specimen represents a patient and Daphne sets the example of Patient First,” Dr. Brandie Firetag, Director of Pathology for Tenet Health Central Coast. “Taking care of patients is truly a team effort: she is the thread throughout the lab that culminates in efficient, high quality, and accurate results to guide patient care. She is a leader, a teacher, and a friend. I am proud to work with her.”

Martin was presented the award among internal and external peers, family and Tenet Health Central Coast leadership in a surprise ceremony at Twin Cities (with a video link from Sierra Vista).