POMPTON PLAINS Each month, Chilton Memorial Hospital honors one employee whose performance exceeds expectations and sets him or her apart as a role model for others. Marie Molendyk, a social worker in the Social Services Department, was awarded the August Service Star of the Month for going above and beyond the call of duty when she arranged for an “Angel Flight” for a patient and his wife who were visiting from Alabama. While in the area, the patient needed to be admitted to Chilton Memorial Hospital and remained in the hospital for a couple of weeks. He then needed transfer to a spinal injury rehabilitation center. Wanting to be closer to home, Molendyk arranged for transportation through “Angel Flight,” an organization that provides free medical air travel. Through many phone calls, arrangements with the FAA, and arranging ambulance transports to Greenwood Lake Airport and another from the airport in Alabama to the Rehabilitation Center, Molendyk made a difficult time a little less difficult for this couple from Alabama. “Marie went above and beyond what her normal day would consist of,” said Julie Dumpert, Nurse Manager for the Intermediate Care Unit, who nominated Molendyk for the coveted Service Star Award. “For several weeks she worked diligently to accommodate an out-of-state patient and his wife and accomplished a miracle transport. This is only one example of Marie’s persistent efforts and everything she does for our patients and she does it all with sincerity and a smile.” A resident of Oak Ridge, Molendyk was recognized at a monthly ceremony attended by her peers, family, and those who nominated her for the award. Molendyk, like other Chilton Memorial Hospital Service Star employees, will have an actual celestial star named after her.