Llano Memorial Healthcare System (LMHS) held its annual employee recognition and awards banquet Friday evening, honoring employees for their dedication and exceptional performance. According to Kevin Leeper, CEO, “This was a fitting end for celebration of Hospital Week and marks the third year for the recognition banquet.” He added Hospital Week is the perfect opportunity to recognize the employees celebrating “milestone anniversaries” as well as the LMHS Employee of the Year and LMHS Department Manager of the Year.

Cynthia Lott of the Facilities and Information Technology Department was named as the 2007 Employee of the Year and Patsy Dick, Director of Nursing, was recognized as the 2007 Department Manager of the Year.

Leeper noted the LMHS recognition program is an employee driven program with nominations for the awards being made by co-workers and with an employee committee reviewing nominations and scoring to select the Employee of the Quarter and ultimately the Employee of the Year. The Employee of the Year is selected from the four quarterly recipients, which in addition to Ms. Lott included Bill Eller, of the IT Department, Christy Miller, of the Lake Area Specialty Clinic and Marble Falls Hoerster Clinic, as well as Guadalupe Trujillo of the San Saba Hoerster Clinic. Those present were asked to join Mr. Leeper at the podium prior to the announcement. He described Ms. Lott as “an individual who always goes out of her way to help anyone and any department, one who wears many hats and has worked in many departments of the hospital.”

Linda Meredith, COO, was called upon to recognize the Department Manager of the Year. The nominees for this award were also asked to join Ms. Meredith at the podium. Nominees included Ada Jo Bauman, Director of Revenue and Reimbursement, Kim Beesley, Director of Medical Records, Patsy Dick, Director of Nursing, Denise Leapaldt, Director of the Business Office, Rodney Lott, Facilities and IT Director, Bettye Marks, Clinic Coordinator for the Marble Falls Hoerster Clinic, Ray Raddataz, Laboratory Director, Michelle Sorensen, Clinic Coordinator for Hoerster Lake Area Health Center, Kelly Tarpley, Food and Nutritional Services Director and Kathy Townsley, Clinic Coordinator Lake Area Specialty Clinic. Meredith described the 2007 Department Manager of the Year as a “team player, the head of a department which is concerned about quality initiatives and which consistently scores greater than the 90th percentile in publicly reported data, and consistently receives excellent ratings on patient satisfaction surveys.” Ms. Dick was described as a nurse’s nurse, “one who can and does it all, is well respected and beloved by all.”

Debbie Coats, of Surgical Services, was recognized for twenty-five years of service to Llano Memorial receiving both a service pin and a plaque. Leola Grote, of Laboratory, was acknowledged for twenty years of service with Llano Memorial and fifty-four years in the medical laboratory field.

Fifteen-year pins were awarded to Steven Alexander of the Llano Hoerster Clinic, Cathy Holloway of Environmental Services, Ramona Napolez of Radiology, Pearl Oestreich of Human Resources, and Kathy Roberts of Surgical Services.

Ten year pins were awarded to Chee Chee Brockman, Virginia Reyes and Martha Umble all of the San Saba Hoerster Clinic, Jodi Donohue of Medical Records, Brandie Kirksey of the Hoerster Lake Area Health Center, Linda Mantheiy of Compliance, Ray Raddatz of Laboratory, Judy Rusche of the Kingsland Hoerster Clinic, and D. D. Stiles of Radiology.

Recognized with five year pins were Michael Bell, Nancy Patterson and Olivia Ortiz of the Marble Falls Hoerster Clinic, Dana Bourke and Kim Wilson of OB, Kristi Pyle and Paula Young of Med-Surg, Karen Carney, Elizabeth Morgan, Noemy Narvaez and Amy Talley of the Llano Hoerster Clinic, Maria Deluna and Briana Woolsey of the Business Office, Sandra Green and Myrna Maligranda of the Kingsland Hoerster Clinic, Lee Griffin of Materials Management, Carol Noble of the Hoerster Lake Area Health Center, Russell Palmares of Radiology, Carolyn Rhoades of Environmental Services and Mary Rhodes of Administration.

The keynote address for the evening was delivered by Peter Harrell, Jr., President of Harrell Communications. His comments focused on the value of customer service within an organization and the differences in gender communication citing humorous anecdotes, which aptly illustrated the differences. He applauded those being honored for their longevity and dedication to service, recognized healthcare professionals for their integrity and passion for service and commended the group for the impact they have had on the community and the “legacy being created today”.

Jodi Babcock, Vice-President of the Llano County Hospital Authority Board thanked Phyllis Farr Alexander, President of the LMHS Foundation for providing the facility for the festivities and commended each of the employees honored stating “they represent a dedicated staff of 332 people who bring quality healthcare to a five county area through the hospital, EMS, Hospice, Home Health, specialty clinic and six rural health clinics”. She referred to healthcare as perhaps the ultimate “customer service” business, and thanked the employees being honored for their contribution to the long lasting success of LMHS and for the vital service provided to the community.