SHELTON, WA – Mason Health is proud to recognize Mykaela Mendez, Senior Medical Assistant, as the July 2026 Employee of the Month for her outstanding dedication to patients, commitment to process improvement and leadership within the organization. Since joining Mason Health in 2022, Mendez has become an indispensable member of the Mason Clinic team, supporting patient care in Pediatrics while also helping improve workflows and operations across multiple departments.

A Shelton native, Mendez graduated from Avanti High School in Olympia in 2017 and completed her medical assistant program in 2018. She wanted a career focused on helping others, after watching her mother work at Shelton Family Medicine growing up.

“I wanted to go into healthcare, and medical assisting was a faster program that allowed me to get in the door and see if it was something I would enjoy,” Mendez said. “I enjoy helping people, working with a team and building processes that make things run better.”

Before joining Mason Health, Mendez gained experience at Kaiser Permanente, including helping open a “microclinic” on the west side of Olympia, which focused on primary care patients. Those experiences helped shape the leadership and organizational skills she now brings to her role as Senior Medical Assistant.

While Pediatrics is her primary department, Mendez frequently fills in throughout Mason Clinic and has taken on numerous leadership responsibilities. She manages point-of-care testing processes for Pediatrics, maintains logs and compliance documentation, oversees supply and medication ordering and develops standard work procedures to improve efficiency and consistency.

“Pediatrics is definitely my favorite,” Mendez said. “I love seeing the kids smile, watching them grow up and helping them when they’re sick. It’s easy to keep a smile on your face when you’re helping a kiddo on one of their hardest days. Kids are fun, and it’s a fun place to work.”

As a specialty lead, Mendez has been instrumental in creating onboarding materials for both providers and medical assistants. Her comprehensive new-hire binders include building maps, phone lists, role expectations, standard work procedures and medical record completion guidance, helping new team members feel supported from day one.

One of her recent projects involved working with the Respiratory Therapy Department to improve training and standard work for using a spirometry machine, which assesses lung function in children with asthma. Recognizing opportunities to strengthen training and confidence in the process, Mendez helped develop clearer procedures and workflows to ensure consistency and quality in patient care.

“I like doing the background work,” Mendez said. “It keeps me busy and happy. I enjoy building systems and finding ways to make things easier for everyone.”

Outside of work, Mendez enjoys spending time with her husband, Rodolfo, and their 5-year-old daughter, Sofia. Whether taking Sofia to the park, baking together or enjoying family game nights, she values creating special memories with her family. A lifelong baker, Mendez also operates a small home baking business on the side.

Mason Health, Public Hospital District No. 1 of Mason County is ISO 9001 Quality Management System certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and is a licensed and accredited acute care hospital with a level four emergency trauma designation. The Board of Hospital District Commissioners are Don Welander, President, Lori Brady, Secretary, and Pamela Schlauderaff, Trustee. Mason General Hospital and Mason Clinic are ENERGY STAR® certified and Mason Health is the recipient of one Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Award, three Partner for Change Awards, two Greening the Operating Room Awards, the Making Medicine Mercury Free Award, the 2025 Emerald Award, and the 2026 Greenhealth Champion Award. To learn more about Mason Health’s sustainability efforts, visit https://www.masonhealth.com/about/sustainability-environmental-stewardship. There are more than 100 physicians on staff in 19 specialties. For more information or to find a health care provider, visit www.masonhealth.com. To learn more about DNV, visit www.dnv.com/healthcare.