SHELTON, WA – Mason Health is proud to honor Teryssa “T” Toppano, MA-C, Clinic Supervisor at Mason Clinic Primary Care, as the Employee of the Month for May 2026. She was applauded by her colleagues for her compassion, supportive nature, and positive attitude every day.

T is Mason County born and raised and continues to live in her hometown of Matlock. Through the Running Start program, she graduated from Mary M. Knight High School with an Associate of Arts degree from South Puget Sound Community College in 2009. From there, she completed a Medical Assisting Certificate (CMA) program in Colorado Springs.

She began her healthcare career at Olympic Physicians in 2010 and has been a medical assistant for 16 years. After leaving Olympic Physicians, T worked elsewhere and gained valuable leadership experience that would serve her well in due time. In February 2024, she returned to Mason Clinic and highlighted the moment as a memorable point in her career. “When I came back to Mason Clinic, I was honored to be part of the Medicare Wellness team. It’s been exciting to continue growing professionally here. I’ve truly enjoyed every aspect of being a medical assistant.”

Upon returning, she made an immediate impact on patients and her colleagues. “She was a killer direct MA who could exceed every expectation she was given,” said Linda Cook, Medical Assistant at Mason Clinic Primary Care. “She roomed those patients quickly and efficiently and tackled all the procedures thrown in there too.”

Recently, T accepted a new role as a Clinic Supervisor, where she plays a crucial role in ensuring Mason Clinic is living up to the District’s vision to Provide the Best Patient-Centered Care in the Pacific Northwest. She helps manage day-to-day operations in the clinic, handles schedules and timecards, and works with her team to navigate unforeseen issues that arise throughout the day.

“T is always going above and beyond hearing out staff members difficulties and helping them find the solution,” said Holly Laaksonen, Lead RN at Mason Clinic. “If T does not know what the solution is, she is very honest about that and does not just tell us, ‘I do not know, figure it out.’ She always tells us, ‘I am not sure but let’s figure this out together.’”

With her new role came increased responsibilities and new challenges, from navigating staff turnover to the opening of a new clinic and installation of a new eye machine. But she’s taken every single challenge and opportunity in stride, garnering praise from her team.

“She is the best supervisor. We can go to her for directions, to ask, ‘How do I do this?’, for venting sessions and she is there. She has our back and will go up to bat whenever needed,” said Cook. “She jumps up and rooms when we are short. She answers incoming calls when things are crazy. She texts us Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”

“T is the perfect example of what a true supervisor should be. She always has our back as employees and is continually wanting to help those around her grow,” said Laaksonen. “If T tells you that she will get something done, you can trust and expect that it will be completed. If she says she will follow up with you on something you can guarantee it will happen.”

Over the course of her 16-year career, T has had the privilege of working in multiple specialties, including family practice, pediatrics, and general/vascular surgery. Through all of that, her love of healthcare and her work at Mason Health boils down to one thing: connecting with the community.

“One of my favorite things about working at Mason Health is being able to serve the same community that raised me,” said T. “It’s meaningful to give back to the people and place that helped shape who I am, and I really value the connection and sense of purpose that comes with that.”

As if helping to run Mason Clinic isn’t enough, T has a very busy life outside of work, too. When she isn’t rooming patients, answering calls, or managing schedules, you can find her spending time with her husband and three kids, probably running to a sporting event. Her kids race dirt bikes in the winter, play baseball in the spring, train during the summer, and hunt in the fall.

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 and the 2025 Emerald 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.

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