We’ve all heard somebody use the term “work family.” For a number of women across Medline, it’s not just a figure of speech.

Mothers and daughters who work under the same Medline roof – if not necessarily in the same department or on the same shift – are more common than you might expect, with examples at the manufacturing centers where healthcare products are made, the distribution centers where customers’ orders are filled and the corporate offices where planning and strategy take shape.

The Medline Newsroom spoke with three of these mom-and-daughter pairs to find out what it’s like when the business of making healthcare run better happens to run in the family.

Diana and Ashley Lara

Laredo, Texas

Diana Lara credits a recruiter with pointing her toward Medline in 2017, knowing the company was soon about to open a brand-new facility in Laredo exclusively for the assembly of sterile procedure kits, one of Medline’s most recognized product offerings.

“He said it was something big that was going to change my future,” she recalled.

Ashley Lara’s recruiter was her mom. About 10 months after Diana started, she and Ashley were both working in the new building, Diana having come from the sterilization center next door and Ashley from 300 miles away in Houston.

“Hearing my mom talk about Medline and what they were doing, that the purpose of the work was to help save lives … that was something I’d always wanted to do growing up,” Ashley said. “It made me want to take the chance to apply here, which has been really good, because over the past eight years, I’ve had many opportunities to grow within the company. It tells me I made the right choice.”

Today, mother and daughter are both in management roles as a process expeditor and production supervisor, respectively, helping to streamline processes, limit waste and resolve potential disruptions in workflow as the Laredo facility churns out thousands of kits per day. They’ve worked on the same shift in the past, but since Ashley’s most recent promotion and move to the second shift, “it’s a rarity that we see each other,” she said.

That includes at home. Although they live together, Diana usually is returning from her shift after Ashley has left for hers.

“Medline’s such a good place to work,” Ashley said, “but we usually leave Medline at Medline. When we make time for each other on the weekends, it’s for catching up on what else has been going on in our lives.”

Added Diana: “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to bring my daughter into this company and to watch her grow here. As she was growing up, I taught her about life, and now she is teaching me how to grow and adapt in new ways. It means a lot to me to be part of such a positive workplace and environment.”

Grace and Mackenzie Lee

Howell, Mich.

Encouraged by a friend to apply at Medline’s manufacturing facility in Howell, a suburb of Detroit, Grace Lee had a list of positives to report back to daughter Mackenzie after two months on the job in 2023: good benefits, good pay and, most important to Mackenzie, good people. It wasn’t long before Mackenzie confirmed it all for herself.

“I love the people a lot,” she said. “They’ve all been really nice and helpful, especially when I was first training and learning everything. The amount of resources that were available to me was incredible.”

Grace still works in the same room where she first started, examining, weighing, boxing and bagging dressings as they come off the manufacturing line. Mackenzie, a first-shift product associate like her mom, works in the kitting department nearby, taking dressings that Grace’s team has just processed and including them in procedure kits, which she checks for completion and cleanliness.

Unlike the Laras in Laredo, they often see each other at work.

“We pass each other sometimes when one of us is coming or going on break because our rooms are right next to each other,” Grace said.

“My favorite thing you do,” Mackenzie said, turning to Grace, “is that as I walk back into my room after a break, you’ll wave at me and the other employees laugh.”

When the company comes up outside work, it’s usually because they’re explaining their jobs to friends and other family members.

“They think it’s really neat,” Mackenzie said. “My grandma was in a nursing home while I was working here. I’d see all the Medline products when I’d visit her. I’m like, ‘See, that’s me. That’s what my mom and I do.’”

Monica Cervantes and Veronica Rico

Waukegan, Ill.

For much of her youth, Veronica Rico heard about the meticulous work happening at the Waukegan facility, where Medline builds an array of customized sterile procedure trays (SPTs) that surgeons use for everything from shoulder repairs to open-heart surgeries.

Four years after coming to the company as a temp, she fully understands the ins and outs of her mom’s job. Monica Cervantes started in assembly at the Waukegan site more than 24 years ago after relocating from California – the first member of her family to join the Medline team – and today is a clearance coordinator, instructing employees on the assembly lines and checking that tray orders are completed quickly, in the right quantities and with the correct instruments and supplies.

Veronica, who already has served in several different roles and is excited to soon transition into quality control, has an aunt and a cousin who also work at the facility. Her brother previously did as well.

“So I heard the stories at a home,” she said.

She still does, even now. Outside of work, where she and her mom have never been on the same line but often take their breaks together, they’re frequently going over lessons learned and swapping tips and best practices. Continuous improvement is a priority at the Waukegan plant, which has many long-term employees with double-digit years of service and some with more than 20.

“It’s important to give your best every day,” Monica said through an interpreter. “At home or in a family environment, we provide each other advice and share examples from our experiences about what to do, what not to do or what can be improved. With our work, we have a responsibility because the trays we make help save lives. It’s a good job here, and there’s always room to learn more.”