Madison Hospital honors Irving Cruz as ‘Employee of the Month’ for November
MADISON – Irving E. Cruz is known for keeping a calm demeanor in stressful or potentially dangerous situations. Madison Hospital has honored him as “Employee of the Month” for November 2025. Cruz works as a Security Officer in the Safety and Security Department for hospitals affiliated with Huntsville Hospital. “When I first was asked to work at Madison Hospital, it was only to cover when needed. But, as time passed, I enjoyed it so much that I asked to stay there,” Cruz said.
He started working at Madison Hospital about three years ago. “Security for Huntsville Hospital focuses on training their officers in different affiliated hospitals. I’ve worked at Huntsville Hospital, Decatur General Hospital, Decatur Parkway Hospital, Athens-Limestone Hospital, Sivley Tower and Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children,” Cruz said.
In Cruz’s nomination, a coworker described Cruz as consistently polite and friendly. “He responds quickly when I have a request. This employee acknowledges every person he comes across as he walks through the halls.”
The nomination stated Cruz “goes out of his way to protect fellow employees. You can tell he has a genuine care for all who work at Madison Hospital. He exemplifies our HRO (High-Reliability Organization) standards. We’re lucky to work with him.”
Cruz’s coworkers surprised him about Employee of the Month. He suggested a coffee break for his coworker, but she returned in only two minutes. “I was confused and told her she was good to leave,” he said.
“After a few minutes of me not understanding why she was back so soon, I get a tap on my shoulder, and I’m surrounded by medical staff and administration,” Cruz said. “They all wanted to surprise me. My coworker was in on it, too.”
Cruz can enjoy his job because most visitors and patients appreciate what he and the Security Department do – from their security presence to actually handling situations.
At a workday’s end, Cruz can consider today was a good day when “we do passon before we leave for the day. If nothing happened that required security to handle it, I know the day was good and peaceful.”
“My husband’s name is Julio. We’ve been together for almost 13 years and married for five. We have two beautiful kids,” Cruz said.
“I’m a very ‘crafty’ person but also can never finish a project without help from someone because I get distracted too easily,” Cruz said. “I also enjoy playing softball with the Nexus League, who is a member of the iPride Softball Organization.”
“When softball and crafting are out of the picture, I love going on hikes with my family, watching silly videos with my son, going to the mall with my daughter, hitting the gym, checking out the latest coffee shop or hanging out with friends and catching up with life,” he said.
