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A Helping Hand in the Hospital

Denise Simpson distributes medical supplies to doctors and nurses

Denise Simpson, customer service representative with Duke Hospital Material Management, poses by a cart with medical supplies, which she delivers to doctors and nurses throughout the hospital. Photo by Alexandria Glenn.
Denise Simpson, customer service representative with Duke Hospital Material Management, poses by a cart with medical supplies, which she delivers to doctors and nurses throughout the hospital. Photo by Alexandria Glenn.

Name: Denise SimpsonPosition: Customer service representative, Duke Hospital Material ManagementYears at Duke: 40

What I do at Duke: I take calls from customers, nurses, doctors and from the workers share list department. I provide all the medical supplies, medical gases and dry ice and deliver them to the doctors and nurses or wherever they need to go. If a customer has a problem placing or locating an order that has been lost, I will usually assist them with getting the right things to where they need to be.

If I had $5 million: I would donate to my church. I would go out of my way to give back to the community by providing housing and shelters for the homeless people who are struggling in the community.

My first ever job: Right after high school, in 1973, I worked for an assembly plant called Amphenol here in Durham on Club Boulevard. They blew a whistle at noon to go to lunch and a whistle to go to break. We were in charge of mounting together pieces that were supposed to go inside TVs and phones which we called productions.  On the days that we did this,  if we did not meet our production quota then we did not get a raise. I did not stay there for long.

My dream job: To be on an exotic island near Belize and Dubai. I would be in charge of giving island tours to visitors and tourist while describing the beauty of this island and all that it has to offer.  

The best advice I ever received: Going back to when I was working at my first job at the plant, my mother told me that whatever job you have, go to work every day that you can, be on time, do the best you can and be respectful to your peers. Do what you are told to do and you won’t have any problems. I've remembered that my whole life and I apply it every day.

What I love about Duke: The kinship in my department. We have all worked for five to six years so we have really grown together and have gotten the chance to know each other. We’ve been together for so long that it feels like a family and if something happens to one of us, it happens to all of us. If one has a death in the family we all mourn together. We also do family functions together away from work.     

If I could have one superpower I would run really fast. I am a diabetic and I have lost a toe on both feet due to diabetes, so I am not walking as fast as I used to. I am not falling down, but I am not steady and I would love to run like a child again.

A Movie I like: The Color Purple. Every time I see it, I cry. My first time seeing the movie was on HBO in 1988 after my mother died. There was a particular part in the movie where the main character reunites with her father and children and it reminded me of my mother. That part gets me every time.  

When I’m not at work, I: Enjoy cooking, which is one of my passions. I specialize in desserts and main dishes like chicken and dumplings, Chili, cornbread and mainly traditional southern food. I don’t have a large family - just two sisters - and we each have two children. I enjoy cooking for them.

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