Wilson Health Names OHA Healthcare Worker of the Year Nominee

Melissa Noble, ATC

Melissa Noble has been named Wilson Health's 2019 Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) Healthcare Worker of the Year nominee. Noble serves as Wilson Health's Senior Clinical Athletic Trainer for Jackson Center High School and the Sidney-Shelby County YMCA. Recognized throughout the community for her expertise and professionalism, it’s not uncommon to find Melissa attending doctor appointments with student-athletes and their families. A valued and trusted resource, Melissa was instrumental in developing an Emergency Action Plan for Jackson Center schools – covering multiple potential threats a school may encounter – not just during athletic events. Melissa is responsible for continual education for the entire sports medicine staff ensuring Wilson Health meets the stringent guidelines required by the NATA Board of Certifications and the OTPTAT Board. Co-author of, Athletic Training Clinical Workbook: A Guide to the Competencies, Melissa’s work has become a staple in athletic training curriculum in universities across the country.

Great Leader
Melissa’s leadership spreads throughout the entire Wilson Health organization and community. She oversees the clinical education program for the sports medicine staff ensuring Wilson Health meets the requirements set forth by the NATA Board of Certifications and the OTPTAT Board. Melissa is chair of Wilson Health’s annual Sports Medicine Symposium bringing sports medicine experts together from across the county for an opportunity to explore nontraditional approaches to injury treatment and job settings. The symposium has been a great success due to Melissa’s leadership and vision. When Wilson Health entered into a partnership with the local YMCA to provide sports medicine services to members, Melissa not only established the program offerings, but she spent countless hours refurbishing an old classroom into a modern day athletic training room for YMCA members to use. Last year, Melissa was recognized for her swift action and professionalism when a spectator suffered a cardiac event while attending a high school athletic event. Not only did Melissa provide comfort and care to the patient and family during a time of need, the school initiated their Emergency Action Plan – a plan Melissa developed with school administrators to improve EMS response time in the event of a school emergency.
 

Goes Beyond the Call of Duty
Melissa is more than an athletic trainer - she is a trusted source of guidance and reassurance for students, patients and families – off the clock. Often times you will find her attending doctor appointments with student-athletes and their families. The Jackson Center high school boys’ basketball coach said, “I want to pass along my sincere appreciation and thanks to Melissa Noble. We had a player suffer a significant injury during a scrimmage a few weeks ago on a Saturday morning. Melissa was right there, as she always is, tending to the situation in a professional and calm demeanor reassuring the player, parents and coaches everything was going to be alright. The player ended up having a MRI and a visit to an orthopedic surgeon. Melissa took the time to go along with our player and his parents to their appointments. To me, this is going above and beyond. Not only did she help assess and treat the injury, but using her own personal time to be a trusted resource to the player and family was greatly appreciated. She truly cares about our athletes. We are so fortunate to have her as part of our program and Jackson Center family.” 

Most notable achievements reflect the mission and values of organization
The mission of Wilson Health is: To improve the health of the community so people can spend more time doing what they love with those they love. A parent of a high-school athlete said, “She is amazing! Melissa truly embraces and lives up to the Wilson Health motto, ‘Caring Without Limits.’ She is always there for our kids, for the parents, our coaches and has become part of our families. We aren’t just names to Melissa, we are friends. We trust her to take care of our kids in our absence and know she treats them like her very own. She attends appointments with our kids and helps provide explanation to the medical providers helping to get our kids back to doing what they love as quickly as possible. My son was injured in a soccer game last season and usually springs right back up to his feet if he goes down during a game. However, this game was different. He couldn’t get up off the field due to a pinched nerve numbing one whole side of his body. In true Melissa fashion, she ran to his side. I knew he was in great hands and when we left the field, she looked at me and said, ‘Mom - are you ok?’ This is just one example of how fortunate we are to have Melissa Noble caring for our kids and our entire community.”

Gives Back to the Community
More times than not, if there is a community-related event Melissa Noble is involved. She is passionate about improving the overall health of Shelby County community and it shows. Melissa serves on the Upper Valley Career Center Exercise Science Advisory Committee and is a volunteer on the Corporate Cup Committee for the Sidney-Shelby County YMCA Wellness Challenge. She also volunteers with the Kindergarten Reading Program through Sidney City Schools and the Shelby County United Way. Melissa not only gives back to Shelby County, but she is passionate about the sports medicine and athletic training community, as well. She published and co-authored, Athletic Training Clinical Workbook, A Guide to the Competencies (1st ed.), which has become a staple in athletic training curriculum in universities across the country. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and watching her two sons play baseball.

On June 4, 2019, Noble will join nominees from across the state of Ohio at the 2019 OHA Annual Dinner and Awards Banquet in Columbus, Ohio.