Life Changing Is … A Seat Saved For You

Gary M. – Shuttle Bus Driver

“You feel that they’re thankful, and you’re thankful to be there for them.”

Gary has been shuttling employees to their jobs at UPMC Harrisburg since 1988, and he doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.

His days begin before 5 a.m., when he checks the bus and makes sure it’s running well. And he spends his long shifts taking employees from the parking lots to the hospital and back.

It’s a job Gary enjoys because he gets to know the employees throughout their many rides together. It’s become a family atmosphere, where they chat about vacations, families, and more.

“We know little things about each other, and it works,” he says. “You go along, and it becomes more like, ‘I can’t wait to see them in the morning.’”

Gary says he gets his personable attitude from his late mother, who “liked everybody.”

He provides an important service for UPMC employees, and he tries to make things easier for them. For example, that could mean waiting an extra minute for an employee to get out of their car and onto the shuttle. It also means staying on schedule to make sure they can get to work.

“We try to help each other get through the day,” he says. “You feel that they’re thankful, and you’re thankful to be there for them. It really does work out nicely.”

In addition to his job at UPMC, Gary coaches college basketball.

He thinks of his UPMC job as a team, too.

“People go to different departments and do their jobs,” he says. “But ultimately, we all want to go in there and do a great job for the patient. And it's really nice when we can work together and get along while we're doing it.”

At UPMC, Life Changing Medicine means working toward a common goal.

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