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Employee of the Year remembered for compassion


Donna Odessa Jenkins, a social worker in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Youth Division, died Tuesday, Feb. 21. She was 54.

Jenkins worked for more than 15 years at MUSC and was known for her work with the Innovative Model for Parent and Child Treatment program (IMPACT) and the Stabilization Treatment Assessment and Reintegration (STAR) Ladson Children's Day Treatment program, helping at-risk children who are diagnosed with severe psychiatric and developmental disorders.

Jenkins was recognized for her compassion and dedication when she received the medical center's 2008 Employee of the Year award.

Donna Jenkins was awarded the medical center's 2008 Employee of the Year on Aug. 13.

She is the mother of Dexter Allen Jenkins, the daughter of Vernell Evans Jenkins and the late Elix Jenkins Jr., the sister of Arvernell Jenkins-Shivers, Marilyn Yvonne Jenkins and the late Elix Jenkins III, the sister-in-law of Anita Jenkins, the granddaughter of Geneva E. Evans and the late Emily C. Jenkins. Jenkins is the niece of 11 aunts, five uncles, the aunt of six nieces and one nephew.

"She was a remarkable woman. I have worked with Donna for the majority of the past 20 years. She was the most energetic, dedicated, and compassionate person with whom I have had the good fortune to work. She will be dearly missed."
—Owen Shoemaker, Ph.D., Director of IMPACT Program

"Ms. Donna would make us kick up our heels and shout with joy and laughter. She brought love and happiness to children who were in need of it."
—Silvie Counts, Clinical Counselor, Institute of Psychiatry

"I was most fortunate to work with Donna Jenkins for many years within the Youth Division at the Institute of Psychiatry. She truly epitomized all that a superb clinician and a wonderful human being could be and will be greatly missed by patients, families and colleagues. She gave unselfishly to other staff by sharing her tremendous knowledge base and being an excellent role model, as well as being conscientious and reliable as any human being that I have ever known. Because of the person Donna was, I believe that we can only guess regarding the extent of her service to others, as she never talked about herself and her commitment to her organization, MUSC, her church members and her family and friends. I feel my life has been enriched in many ways just by knowing Donna. I will cherish my memories of her, especially how she connected with the IMPACT and STAR program children in a manner that blended unconditional caring and love with structure and support."
—Meredith Lyons-Crews, Assistant Professor, Institute of Psychiatry

 
 

 

Friday, March 2, 2012

The Catalyst Online is published weekly by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. The Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to The Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.