Cartersville Medical Center Recognizes Its Top Employees, Volunteers

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- Cartersville Medical Center recently presented the 2015 HCA Awards of Distinction to recipients at a ceremony during National Hospital Week.

The awards include the Frist Humanitarian Award, the HCA Innovators Award and the HCA Excellence in Nursing Award, and are the highest honors that HCA bestows on employees, physicians and volunteers.

This is the first time the company has recognized all three HCA Awards of Distinction categories in one celebration.

The Frist Humanitarian Awards were created to recognize one employee, one physician and one volunteer at each HCA-affiliated facility who demonstrate extraordinary concern for the welfare and happiness of patients and their community.

The Frist Humanitarian Awards are given each year in recognition of the humanitarian spirit and philanthropic work of the late Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Sr., a founder of HCA. Recipients of the Frist Humanitarian Award are: Sandy Dudek, RN, an emergency department nurse; Bobbie Kincannon, a volunteer; and Dr. Mary Katherine "Kitti" Barfield, a family medicine physician at Cartersville Family Medical Associates.

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Dudek, the employee recipient of the 2015 Frist Humanitarian Award, has worked as a nurse at Cartersville Medical Center for over 30 years. As an educator, Dudek regularly mentors new nurses and is the hospital go-to person for basic and advanced life support training. She is also very involved with her state Emergency Nurses Association and assists with coordination of the annual EMS Summit.

Kincannon, the volunteer recipient of the 2015 Frist Humanitarian Award, is a kind, caring and dedicated volunteer who tracks volunteer hours for the Cartersville Medical Center Auxiliary. In fact, she is the only surviving auxiliary charter member and has pleasantly served the hospital for 54 years. Kincannon is quick to fill in for other volunteers, if needed, and is also active in her church (Tabernacle Baptist Church) and the American Legion Auxiliary #42, where she was a past unit president.

Dr. Barfield, the physician recipient of the 2015 Frist Humanitarian Award, is a family medicine physician at Cartersville Family Medical Associates. A caring and selfless individual, Barfield is dedicated to her profession, truly loves her patients and is genuinely concerned about the well being of patients and their families.

“HCA is committed to delivering quality patient care," said Keith Sandlin, President/CEO at Cartersville Medical Center. "We are extremely proud to recognize our Frist Humanitarian Award winners’ efforts on behalf of our patients and our community. Their exemplary work and compassion sets a high standard for healthcare professionals. We’re proud to have these individuals as part of our hospital family. Our patients benefit from the kind of commitment to humanitarian concerns they demonstrate each day."

The Excellence in Nursing Awards celebrate the extraordinary clinical and compassionate care delivered by HCA nurses every day. The recipient of the 2015 HCA Excellence in Nursing Award is Sharon Mealer, RN, medical-surgical floor nurse at Cartersville Medical Center. Mealer received the HCA Excellence in Nursing Award in the professional mentoring category.

A nurse at Cartersville Medical Center for 40 years, Mealer uses her experience and extraordinary technical nursing skills to mentor nurses to help develop their skills and leadership within the hospital. Well respected by her co-workers, when Mealer is not working at the hospital, she enjoys family time, including four grandchildren.

The Innovators Award acknowledges employees who share innovative ideas to improve patient quality, service, or the efficiency of company operations.

Recipients of the 2015 HCA Innovators Award at Cartersville Medical Center are: Anna Arias, occupational therapist, and a multidisciplinary team including Chase Adams, Pam Robins, Valerie Wagner and Kristen Gentry.

Anna Arias, an occupational therapist, received the HCA Innovators Award in the quality and patient safety category. Arias submitted an idea to provide patients — via patient room television — with an up to date list and education about tests and/or procedures that are ordered for that day, thus enhancing patient education and satisfaction. Arias’s idea also advanced to win the TriStar Health System division award.

Adams, Robins, Wagner and Gentry received the HCA Innovators Award for their Patient Mobility Program idea. Recognizing the importance of movement for hospitalized patients, the team developed a nursing-driven program — supported by physicians and physical therapy — to keep patients moving, either by walking or through range of motion exercises. In addition to reducing hospital length of stay, this program implementation will also prepare patients to return to their home environment after discharge rather than a rehab setting.

“I am very proud to present these awards to such deserving individuals," said Sandlin.“Their creativity and innovative thinking helps inspire us all to look for new ways to better serve our patients.”

For more information about the 2015 Awards of Distinction, please call Robbie Tatum, VP, Human Resources, at 770-387-8172.

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Images via Cartersville Medical Center