Maria Melton

All of us at VUMC wish to offer our sympathy to Maria’s family and friends, and support to her many colleagues here who are experiencing this loss.

Involved in learning and development programs for the Human Resources Department, Maria was a dedicated leader committed to her team and who was proud to lead the Defining Personalized Care: Elevating our Culture of Service initiative. For two years, Defining Personalized Care has provided our organization with creative and impactful learning opportunities, including skills development, that have resulted in improved outcomes in customer service.

Maria was very passionate about this work because it reflected her heart-felt belief that we should treat everyone, whether it was our patients or each other, with kindness and a welcoming spirit. She is remembered by her colleagues with such acknowledgments as “authentic,” “energetic,” “joyful,” “bright” and “kind.”

As part of an ongoing commitment to foster inclusion and celebrate diversity at VUMC, Maria was also an organizer of HAAPI: Healthcare Alliance of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders Employee Resource Group. The HAAPI’s goal is to celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander heritage and help unify all cultures.

Funeral services for Maria will be held Saturday, April 3 at 2 p.m. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. The family will visit with friends at the funeral home Saturday, April 3, starting at 1 p.m. Condolences may be extended online at https://www.oakesandnichols.com/.

For members of the VUMC family who may have been impacted by flooding, Work/Life Connections- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Faculty and Staff Hardship Fund are resources that are available to help.