Armed Security Officer Recognized for Kindness in Helping Grieving Family

Reginald "Reggie" Gardner, an armed security officer at UMC, has been named the 2024 Employee of the Year for his kindness and hard work. 

Gardner has worked at the medical center for six years and was recognized for his kindness to a family who came too late to say goodbye to a loved one last August.

Because Gardner knew how sad they were, he called to make sure the family could specially visit the morgue. Carefully, he set up the area by putting blankets and chairs in a way that made it feel calm and safe. 

Gardner sat next to the dead woman's young son and softly sang "Center of My Joy," a song he had sung at the death of his mother. It helped the boy feel better during a sorrowful time.

Reginald "Reggie" Gardner is from Birmingham, Alabama, and has spent his whole career working for others. After 12 years in the military, he worked for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and joined UMC in 2019. As a security officer, he goes beyond his tasks to help patients and their families because he cares about them and has much experience.

Gardner was surprised when UMC named him Employee of the Year for 2024 at their February dinner.

Gardner said, "I was shocked; I couldn't believe it." "I was shaking as I sat there." At first, I was shocked. What do you know? I was dressed as Flavor Flav.

Gardner likes going to car shows and fixing up old cars when he's not working at UMC. Being named Employee of the Year shows how professional, kind, and caring he is, which makes him an important part of the UMC community.