{"id":25105,"date":"2025-11-15T10:30:58","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T15:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/?p=25105"},"modified":"2025-12-09T10:31:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T15:31:29","slug":"2025-november-stardom-awardees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/2025\/11\/15\/2025-november-stardom-awardees\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 November STARDoM Awardees!!!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Please join us in congratulating this month\u2019s STARDoM awardees, Kimber King and George Wang!!<\/span><\/p>\n

Kimber King<\/strong><\/p>\n

Job Title<\/strong>: Operations Coordinator<\/p>\n

How many years have you been at BUSM\/BMC?<\/strong> 2 Years<\/p>\n

Describe your role within the Department of Medicine: <\/strong>I serve as the Operations Coordinator, Daytime Supervisor, and an active operator for the SafeSpot Overdose Prevention Hotline, which is part of the Boston Medical Center Department of Medicine.<\/strong> Even with all my administrative responsibilities, I continue to answer calls during workday hours because staying directly connected to our callers is the heart of this work for me. In my role, I manage hiring and onboarding, operator training, documentation systems, quality assurance, and scheduling to keep SafeSpot running smoothly and staffed 24\/7. I build our protocols and training pathways with compassion, structure, and lived experience so operators feel supported, confident, and prepared for real calls. My connection to this work is deeply personal. A spotting hotline once saved my life, and that moment shapes everything I do. I am living proof that my experience using substances is valid and valuable and that it can be channeled into something meaningful. What once felt like the hardest part of my life is now something I\u2019ve turned into a career rooted in compassion, safety, and service to others. SafeSpot is a true labor of love for me. It\u2019s my way of giving back to the same type of service that helped me survive, and of showing up for the next person who needs someone on the line. I also represent SafeSpot across multiple states, offering virtual presentations and building partnerships with syringe service programs, community groups, task forces, CABs, and organizations that want to bring this resource to the people they serve. Helping grow SafeSpot from a small pilot into a trusted, multi-state resource has been one of the most meaningful parts of my life, and I remain committed to expanding this work with dignity, authenticity, and lived experience at the center.<\/p>\n

What do you like best about your job? <\/strong>I love that SafeSpot allows me to use my lived experience as a strength.<\/strong> Not just quietly in the background, but openly, proudly, and as a core part of my work. I love knowing that I\u2019m showing people that survival, resilience, and lived experience are valuable, professional, and powerful. I love the team I get to help build, operators who show up with compassion, steadiness, and heart. Training new people, watching them grow confident, and seeing them support callers the way someone once supported me is incredibly rewarding.<\/p>\n

Favorite thing to do outside of work?<\/strong> You can find me playing The Sims, growing flowers or trying to do a fun activity with my daughter and fianc\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Little known fact<\/strong>: I\u2019m a huge conspiracy theorist. I spend a lot of time doing deep dives and have become a really good arm chair detective<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

George Wang<\/strong><\/p>\n

Job Title<\/strong>: Medical Assistant
\n
\nHow many years have you been at BUSM\/BMC? <\/strong>2 years going on 3 in May!
\n
\nDescribe your role within the Department of Medicine: <\/strong>As a medical assistant in the Department of Medicine, I serve as a key member of the clinical care team, supporting physicians and healthcare providers in delivering patient-centered care. I room patients\u2014including refugee populations\u2014and obtain and document vital signs. I conduct PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 depression screenings as well as social determinants of health assessments to identify barriers to care. I perform point-of-care testing including A1C for diabetes monitoring, urinalysis, and HCG for pregnancy detection. I assist providers during cervical and male physical examinations, and anticipate visit needs by preparing necessary supplies such as swabs and urine cups. I clean and turn over exam rooms between patients and keep rooms stocked with supplies and equipment.
\n
\nWhat do you like best about your job? <\/strong>My coworkers. They really taught me how to be a team player and helped integrate me into their system seamlessly. I truly do appreciate them so much. Shoutout Edna, Maria, and Jossie! They truly are the best MAs I\u2019ve met to this day. We are so lucky to have them in GIM! I also enjoy the connections with providers and nurses I\u2019ve made. We are like a big family in my suite!
\n
\nFavorite thing to do outside of work? <\/strong>Traveling to new countries! Japan soon. I also enjoy spending time with friends and family and like to play videogames from time to time.
\n
\nLittle known fact<\/strong>: I was the Bay State U-18 Table Tennis champion in 2011.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Please join us in congratulating this month\u2019s STARDoM awardees, Kimber King and George Wang!! Kimber King Job Title: Operations Coordinator How many years have you been at BUSM\/BMC? 2 Years Describe your role within the Department of Medicine: I serve as the Operations Coordinator, Daytime Supervisor, and an active operator for the SafeSpot Overdose Prevention […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20392,"featured_media":25106,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3134,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25105"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20392"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25105"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25107,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25105\/revisions\/25107"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}