Honoring LVMC’s Longest-Serving Employee as She Retires – 43 Years of Dedication

As of today, Clinical Laboratory Scientist Cherilyn Hollingworth has worked in the LVMC laboratory for 43 years, 7 months and 23 days. Those years of dedication and hard work have earned her the designation as the longest serving employee in the hospital district.

On Friday, Cher will turn in her badge and retire, ending a tremendously impactful and productive career that began on Aug. 30, 1982.

Over the course of more than four decades, Cher’s expertise, consistency and commitment to excellence have played a vital role in supporting patient care and advancing the quality standards of the hospital district. She is retiring as the Microbiology Lead CLS – a role that has had her analyzing blood, tissues and body fluids to help physicians diagnose and treat disease.

“I’ve never met a more dedicated person to the lab,” said Lab Director Megan Ayala, CLS. “We have been blessed to be in the presence of Cher and she will be truly missed in the lab.”

Cher said the time was right for retirement, since she celebrated her 70^th birthday this month. She thought about retiring at 65, but was “still having a good time.” She said at that time, “When I hit 70, I’ll have to find another hobby.”

She’s had the type of career that has kept her largely behind the scenes.

“Nobody really sees,” Clinical Lab Scientists, she says. “But the doctors and nurses can’t do their jobs without the results.”

She has not grown tired of her role, because “it’s always changing,” with an enormous number of tests that can be conducted. Technology, too, has evolved tremendously in the past four decades.

“I like the science … I liked being in the back, instead of the front line of patients,” Cher noted.

Cher, who has two adult children, plans to travel to visit family the weeks after her retirement. She also says she might begin taking part in the numerous classes offered at the Dick DeWees Community and Senior Center. Her husband, Bruce, is already retired from his aerospace career.

Megan says Cher is the “true Lab Mom.” Others attest to Cher always having what her colleagues need – from institutional knowledge, to candy in her candy bowl, to tablecloths for potlucks. She stores hot sauce in her cubicle for people wanting to add a bit of zest to their meals and ensures the soap containers are filled.

“Her brain is like a sponge and we have had the blessing of soaking up her knowledge,” Megan said. “She’s the first one we run to when we don’t know about a certain test. She answers every phone call. She is the most giving person.”
Cher often asks after her coworkers’ family members and brings toys or treats for the “lab staff kids,” Megan said.

In her last few days as an employee, Cher and her lab colleagues have been reminiscing about her years at LVMC.

“She was the only CLS I’ve ever worked with that when we had major traumas, she would run the whole back of the lab by herself and not tap out for me to call (backup),” says Lab Assistant Amy Misner. “This woman was just a machine … She was who you wanted (in an emergency).”

Cher and Amy also laughed about ordering rack of lamb for dinner from a now-closed restaurant in town when they were at the end of their shifts – something unlikely to happen nowadays.

They also recalled what it was like working night shifts at the former hospital on C Street.

“We all carried around an actual house key to get in,” said Cher, who attended Wright State University in Ohio.

Getting emotional as she spoke about her career, Cher said it’s the people she’ll miss the most.

Cher’s institutional knowledge and steady presence will be deeply missed. While the thousands of patients who have passed through our doors in the past 43 years may never have seen Cher’s work firsthand, her impact has been felt by countless lives throughout our community.

Happy retirement, Cher!