Faces of Bryan

On Jan. 5, 2024, AJ Freburg was completing one of her last runs at Complete Endocrinology. The company she had contracted with as courier for 30 years decided to close all Nebraska operations, and January 5 was its last day of service.

AJ didn’t have much of a plan past this day, and she felt unsure of her future. But what she was sure of was missing “her people” at the various Bryan Physician Network (BPN) offices she had come to know through her work.

As she got on the elevator to complete one of her final stops, she ran into Brandon Allgood, laboratory logistics manager, and they struck up a conversation.

She noticed he was carrying a lab specimen, and he noticed the courier company’s logo on her jacket.

An Answered Prayer

Between the time they got on the elevator on the first floor and the time they got off the elevator at the fourth floor, the two had all but struck a deal.

Brandon, who was working on creating a new department at Bryan Health for in-house courier services, still had positions he needed to fill. AJ needed to find a new job.

She got Brandon’s business card, and he took a photo of her badge so he could be on the lookout for her application.

“It was an answer to a prayer,” AJ said.

As they exited the elevator, Brandon watched AJ head into Complete Endocrinology. She lit up the office with a warm smile and bright enthusiasm.

“They were all excited to see her,” he said. “She was striking up casual conversation and it seemed she had talked with them on a day-to-day basis. I was thinking this is exactly what I'm looking for in a lab courier.”

On their way back from their separate errands, they happened to run into each other again on the elevator ride down, and they picked up their conversation. The more Brandon talked to AJ, the more excited he was to get her on his team.

“I said to her, ‘We're looking for somebody, and I think you would definitely fit the bill,’” Brandon said. “She already has these relationships. It just made too much sense."

Part of the Team

A few weeks later, AJ returned to Complete Endocrinology, this time with a Bryan Health badge.

“When I got my badge, I came into Complete Endocrinology, and I was like, ‘Look you guys! I’m one of you now!’” AJ said with laugh. “They were so excited. They cheered. They didn't know what was going to happen with everything, and I'm just glad it was a very seamless transition.”

While AJ’s new job requires the movement of more lab specimens and medical equipment than interoffice mail and records, she quickly realized the people “at the back of the house” are just as friendly as the people “at the front of the house.”

“It has not disappointed because everybody has been so wonderful,” she said. “The people who work here are really great.”

Not only did the new job play to her strengths and allow her to continue the relationships she had been building over the past 30 years, but it also gave her a few things she hadn’t had for a long time as a contractor.

“At 60 years old, I have a 401(k) finally,” she said with a proud smile. “I don't have to drive my own car; Bryan Health lets me drive their car. They fix it if something's broken. They put gas in it. I drive six miles to work and six miles home in my own car – that's it. It’s fantastic.”

For Brandon, AJ quickly became a model employee for his department. She already had the Bryan Health core values embedded in her character, and she knew how to balance relationship building with timely deliveries.

“The standard idea of couriers is that they show up, take your samples, and go. That's it,” Brandon said. “Granted it's quick and efficient, but spending the extra couple minutes like AJ does – as long as you know your routes, your times, the kinds of samples you're taking, and you're not putting those into jeopardy – you're being the face of Bryan showing the quality behind its name.”

Reflecting on Fate

When AJ reflects on the day she ran into Brandon, she can’t help but feel that their meeting was written in the stars. She’s now been on the job for a handful of months, and she couldn’t be happier.

For her, working for Bryan just makes sense.

“I think people get tired of hearing how happy I am,” she said with a laugh. “It feels like I was brought under the wing of Bryan Health, and it’s a dream come true.”