October 2018, Cardiovascular Medicine

Kathleen “Kat” Gallagher, administrative associate for cardiovascular medicine, “has a heart of gold,” according to Francois Haddad, MD, associate professor of cardiovascular medicine.  No fewer than sixteen of her colleagues state that she goes “above and beyond” in her work, which as she puts it is “some days of chaos and some days of calm.”

A crucial part of the cardiovascular team

“Kat is very friendly, approachable and always willing to help no matter how busy she is. She's very passionate about her job and it shows with her positive attitude. CV Med is very lucky to have her!” Cristina Cruz says.

Kathleen has been at Stanford for fourteen years after she moved back to California after “retirement” and took a temporary job with the cardiovascular team.  As she explains, “I work for eight faculty members (and an occasional supplemental faculty member) along with my colleague.  I mainly handle all their IRB and APLAC renewals, budgets, and contracts and, it never fails, they all are due at the same time.  This is on top of the normal day-to-day responsibilities of an admin.”

But clearly this doesn’t affect her work quality.  As Haddad adds, Kathleen is “the most efficient person who makes everyone feels better around her.”  Brooke Zelnik says, “I couldn’t do my job without Kat!”  Francesca Tongco adds, ”Kat is a huge advocate for her team and colleagues. She also has a sense of humor that is so contagious that she sheds light on some tough situations.”   Phillip Yang, MD, associate professor of cardiovascular medicine, concludes, “We are so fortunate to have her on our team.”

A truly dedicated worker

“Her dedication is evident every day!” Ian Rogers, MD, clinical assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine states.  Sunny Pellone agrees: “There is nothing that we cannot ask of her. She does it cheerfully and expertly. Our patients sometimes call the faculty office and they love her. Working with her cardiologists, scientists, fellows, students, etc. is like herding fleas and somehow she manages the whole thing.”

Ingela Schnittger, MD, professor of cardiovascular medicine adds, “She cares deeply about her faculty and looks out for them.  She has risen to become a true star performer and the go-to resource to all other administrators in our division.”

And she’s also fun.  She “lights up the place with a smile,” according to Vijaya Parameswaran, and adds to her colleagues’ enjoyment of everything.  Koen Nieman, MD, associate professor of cardiovascular medicine, gives a specific example: “She adds atmosphere to the department, for instance by showing up in an inflatable dinosaur costume during Halloween and doing decorations over the holidays.”

Kathleen loves the people she works with.  When she received the Employee of the Month award she remembers feeling “like a deer in headlights—dumbstruck and speechless (which is something for me as I am always talking).”  She loves “the challenges of the job and working for my faculty,” and adds, “I especially like working with all my co-workers.  Without their help and support, this job would not be the same.”

In her free time, Kathleen, a self-described “jack of all trades and master of none,” likes creating things, knitting, decorating, and Halloween.