Hospital employees honored for dedication to excellence
By Nelson Sigelman
Published: June 23, 2011
An array of snacks lined the hallways Friday afternoon in the entrance foyer of the Martha's Vineyard Hospital as employees gathered for a ceremony to honor their co-workers for their dedication to excellence.
Hospital employees are used to making do in a rundown building and the cramped space did little to dampen their enthusiasm. The event, the first of its kind for the Island hospital, was linked to last year's affiliation agreement with Partners HealthCare, the Boston-based health-care system.
In 1996 Partners established the Partners in Excellence award program to recognize individuals and teams at all levels that have contributed to Partners' success in any of its member institutions, which include Mass General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women's Hospital.
On Friday, Jeff Davis, MGH senior vice president for human resources, visited the hospital for the first time to hand out awards to two individuals and one team.
The first presentation was to Denise Brouillette, lead housekeeper. Tim Walsh, hospital chief executive officer, said the selection was easy. "She's a dream to work with," he said. "She'll do anything, anytime, for anybody. She's just a dream to work with."
An individual award went to Sue Canha, an employee since 1975. In making the award, Ken Chisholm, Windemere administrator said, "She always looks on the bright side of any issue."
A team award went to the hospital stroke team. Mr. Walsh said the team crosses all departments and is an example of the best kind of teamwork.
The stroke team works with MGH to coordinate emergency treatment protocols. It is state-certified, quite an accomplishment for a small hospital, Mr. Walsh pointed out.
The stroke team members are: Mary Patrice Ruocco, team leader, Jill Belcher, Dave Caron, Karen Dumont, Margaret Ekholm, Mary Gross, Gage-David Hansen, Claudia Macedo, Lynn Mercer, Margaret Pattison, Gayle Poggi, Donna Rhoades, Timothy Tsai, and Elizabeth VanLandingham.
