A Season of Gratitude: Honoring the People Behind Healthcare Spaces

A Season of Gratitude: Honoring the People Behind Healthcare Spaces

The holiday season has a way of slowing us down. Even in industries that never truly pause, it invites reflection. It creates space to look beyond deadlines and deliverables and instead focus on people. In healthcare, where urgency is part of the everyday, this pause feels especially meaningful for us. Behind every patient room, every corridor, and every clinical decision is a network of individuals whose work often goes unseen, including the teams who keep the business of healthcare running smoothly behind the scenes. From planning to coordination to the details that hold everything together, leaders like Business Manager Kerry Eldridge play a critical role in keeping our operations in order so the rest of the work can happen seamlessly. This season, we want to take a moment to honor them.

At Paladin Healthcare, gratitude is not a once a year sentiment. It is built into how we work, how we collaborate, and how we design. Still, the holidays offer a reminder to say it out loud. Healthcare spaces do not exist on their own. They are shaped by caregivers, designers, facility teams, engineers, project managers, and partners who show up day after day with the same shared goal. To support care.

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Where It All Began

Paladin’s story begins long before our name existed. In 1968, Ernst F. Schindele and his team introduced what would become the Fairfield Medical Equipment Management Rail System. It was born out of direct collaboration with healthcare professionals who understood that clinical spaces needed to work better for the people inside them. That early partnership between design and practice set the foundation for everything that followed.

From the original MODURA Rail used in mobile intensive care units to early ambulance installations and ICU environments, the goal was always the same. Create systems that adapt to real clinical needs. That mindset continues to guide Paladin today. We collaborate daily with healthcare workers to ensure our solutions remain flexible, expandable, and built for the long term. Innovation has always been part of our history, but it has never existed without people at the center.

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Leadership Through Experience

That people first philosophy continues through Paladin’s leadership. President Gary Schindele carries more than forty years of experience in the healthcare equipment field. His connection to this

work began early, volunteering with his local ambulance corps and seeing firsthand how equipment impacts care in critical moments. That perspective still shapes Paladin’s approach today.

Leadership at Paladin is not about distance or hierarchy. It is about understanding the realities of healthcare environments and supporting teams who operate within them. Alongside Gary, Kerry Eldridge keeps operations grounded and steady as Business Manager, ensuring the systems behind the scenes run as smoothly as the ones installed in the field. Judy Carter Davis leads contract administration and government relations with a depth of knowledge that helps Paladin navigate complex regulatory spaces with integrity and clarity.

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The Teams Who Bring Ideas to Life

Designing and manufacturing healthcare solutions takes more than vision. It takes execution. It takes people who understand that every detail matters. In Paladin’s production and project teams, that responsibility is felt deeply.

Robert Baldwin oversees production with a focus on quality and consistency, knowing that every rail or headwall will eventually become part of someone’s care environment. Uriel Velazquez manages projects with coordination and care, bridging communication between teams and clients so nothing is lost along the way. David Denneno brings clinical insight as a Clinical Specialist, helping ensure solutions are not just functional, but meaningful in practice.

Christiane Klang leads marketing with the same thoughtfulness that defines Paladin’s design philosophy, translating complex systems into clear stories. Each of these people plays a part in shaping healthcare spaces that work not just on paper, but in real life.

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Across the Map

Paladin’s reach spans the country, but its approach remains personal. Regional sales directors and territory managers serve as trusted partners to healthcare facilities, designers, and administrators. They are often the first point of contact and the constant presence throughout a project.

From Chris Smith in the Southeast to Stacy Gay in the East Central region, from Sean Quatman across the Midwest to Craig Amundson in the North Central states, these leaders bring deep regional

understanding to every conversation. Ron Lee supports California facilities, while Mark Deane serves the Northeast with a steady focus on long term relationships.

Territory Representatives like Valerie Kaimann, Father and Daughter team Tim and Olivia Heide, Melissa Eusterwiemann, John Booth, Melissa Southwick, and Rebecca Perlow work closely with clients to ensure solutions align with both clinical needs and operational realities. Their work is built on trust, listening, and follow through. During the holidays, when hospitals are often stretched thin, their presence matters even more.

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Gratitude for Our Healthcare Partners

Beyond Paladin’s internal team, gratitude extends outward. To the healthcare workers who rely on our systems every day. To the architects and designers who collaborate with us early in the planning process. To the facility teams who ensure spaces function long after installation is complete. Healthcare design is never a solo effort.

The environments we help create must support care during some of the most vulnerable moments of a person’s life. That responsibility is shared. Every successful project reflects collaboration between disciplines and a shared respect for the human experience within healthcare spaces.

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A Legacy That Continues

From early ambulance rail systems in the 1960s to the development of the ONE Rail in 2024, Paladin’s evolution has always been guided by adaptability and trust. The official handover from father to son in 2013 marked more than a leadership transition. It represented continuity. A commitment to honoring the past while designing for the future.

As healthcare continues to evolve, Paladin remains focused on creating solutions that grow alongside it. Flexible systems that support changing technology. Designs that respect workflow and dignity. Partnerships that extend far beyond installation.

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Closing the Year With Thanks

The holiday season is not just about reflection. It is about recognition. At Paladin, we are grateful for the people who make this work possible. The colleagues who bring care and expertise to

every role. The partners who trust us with their spaces. And the healthcare professionals who remind us why thoughtful design matters.

As we look toward the year ahead, gratitude remains our foundation. For the history that shaped us. For the people who carry the work forward. And for the opportunity to continue designing spaces that support care, comfort, and connection.

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Written by Madison Steidley

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