TAYLORVILLE – Travis VanderMeersch of Assumption, an infection prevention and quality coordinator at Taylorville Memorial Hospital, is the nonprofit hospital’s Colleague of the Month for October.

VanderMeersch joined Taylorville Memorial Hospital in 2016. “The most rewarding part of my job is working side by side with my colleagues to solve issues related to patient care,” he said.

VanderMeersch understands the importance of employee participation when it comes to infection prevention and adherence to safety protocols and is known for his ability and willingness to work alongside departments to implement and monitor safety protocols in a way that engages employees in the process, said hospital officials.

Outside of work, VanderMeersch enjoys spending time with family, which includes his wife and 1-year-old daughter, and watching the St. Louis Cardinals, the Green Bay Packers and the University of Illinois Fighting Illini sports teams.