Growing up in Lafayette, Michael “Mike” Goodrich, Engineering, was a huge fan of superheroes. “I loved Spiderman and wanted to be a superhero like him,” he said. After discovering superheroes such as Spiderman weren’t real, he gravitated toward creating comic books. “I love the idea of conceptual art and design and building a story basically from nothing.”
Fast forward to today and you’ll find Mike doing just that at Hendricks Regional Health – conceptualizing and designing, sometimes from nothing more than an idea. As a maintenance tech 2, Mike has a wide variety of responsibilities. In a single day, you can catch him performing electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, and other maintenance.
Mike has been a member of Hendricks’s Engineering department since he was 19 years old! He started as a groundskeeper in 2007. After 10 years of working outdoors (which he loved), he grew curious about doing maintenance inside facilities. Maintenance techs that had worked alongside Mike happily showed him the ropes. The eager learner quickly caught on and was promoted to his current position in which he oversees the Avon Medical Center. “It’s a challenge being in charge of the upkeep of a medical building,” he said. “You’re the first person people call when they need something fixed – and it’s not always an easy fix!”
“Mike is a great guy,” said Brian Edwards, Mike’s supervisor. “He is so kind and hard-working. I’m very happy he is on our team.”
Mike is very appreciative of the team he works with. “We’re never doing the same thing from day to day but we make things happen,” he said. “It’s a great sense of accomplishment when you’re able to troubleshoot and fix a problem.” Speaking of which, Mike jokes he’s still waiting for the day when he can check everything off his To Do list. Fortunately, it’s a challenge he enjoys. “This is a wonderful place to work. It allows me to do what I enjoy – and I get to spend every day with the best people.”
“Hendricks is fortunate to have such a dedicated engineering team,” said Hendricks Regional Health President & CEO Kevin Speer. “Each member does whatever is needed to get things done in the right way – regardless of their role or position. Whether they’re performing maintenance or completing an innovative project, their work often leads directly to great experiences for our patients and their families.”
Maybe superheroes are real.
