The One They Can Count On.

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At Hemby Children’s Hospital, Gracie Davis is dedicated to maintaining meticulously clean NICU isolettes.

Meet remarkable team member Gracie Davis

Gracie Davis has been a Novant Health team member for 31 years.

Davis spent most of those years on the environmental services team at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center. It wasn’t until her manager announced an opening in the neonatal intensive care unit at Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital that she considered making a change.

“When I heard about the opportunity at Hemby Children’s Hospital, the woman I had been working alongside for 28 years had just retired,” Davis said. “We worked together very closely, and I missed having her as a buddy, so I thought it was a good time to try something new.”

Still, Davis was hesitant about moving to the NICU. The new role would put her in charge of disinfecting and maintaining the NICU isolettes, where premature infants are kept until they’re strong enough to go home. Before making her final decision, she walked the floor to see how she felt in the presence of babies in need of neonatal care, and she realized this new position would give her the opportunity to make a remarkable impact.

“When I first started at Novant Health, I used to get very emotional seeing the sick babies on the NICU floor,” Davis said. “Now that I’m older, I have the wisdom to recognize that, if I do my job well, it will help the babies stay safe and healthy as they grow.”

The importance of isolettes

Isolettes are clear, enclosed cribs that create a warm and sanitary environment for infants. They are essential in caring for premature babies who cannot maintain body heat on their own. Davis’ primary responsibility is to clean and prep them to hold babies.

“It’s a good thing when I have a lot of work to do. When I walk into the room and see a lot of isolettes, I think, ‘Oh my gosh, the babies are getting better,’” Davis said. “It’s a sign they are getting strong and able to move out of the incubators and are one step closer to going home with their families.”

Davis spends much of the day alone, but she has found companionship in listening to her favorite radio shows while she works.

“I like to listen to Steve Harvey while I clean,” Davis said. “He makes me laugh, and he has spiritual elements to his show. It’s both funny and spiritually uplifting, and I love that.”

‘No shortcuts’

Whether it be her managers, the nurses and doctors on her floor or the babies in the isolettes, everyone who spends time in the NICU at Hemby Children’s Hospital knows they can count on Davis and her dedication to her job.

Davis makes a point to help out on other floors when needed or to answer a nurse’s request for extra support. Most importantly, her fellow team members know, with Davis on their team, these babies are resting in meticulously maintained isolettes.

“I take a lot of pride in what I do,” Davis said. “I think about if one of the babies in the NICU was my grandchild and how I would want them to be cared for. There are no shortcuts with my job, and I am confident every baby will be safe in my isolettes.”