Ways to Give
Contact Us >South County Health capped off its Employee Week Celebration by recognizing several of its staff for their extraordinary contributions, achievements, and adherence to the organization’s character values.
Below are this year’s award recipients and their nominations.
Employee of the Year
Sharon Garofano, RN - PACU
Nominated by: Jennifer Gagner, RN
"Sharon, who has been with South County Health since 1987, works in pre-op surgical services and exemplifies what it means to be a nurse. Sharon is a born leader and takes all employees under her wing to make them comfortable. She makes up a very difficult surgical assignment with such ease that she makes it looks easy.
Sharon is the "mother figure" on our unit-she is the glue that makes everything and everyone run smoothly. She is what South County Health exemplifies - hard working, passionate, loving, and a fierce patient advocate. Any patient who has ever had the opportunity to be cared for by Sharon is better off."
Leader of the Year
Michael MacLean, Team Leader – Patient Access
Nominated by: Kathi Adams, Jennifer Grumbach, Sarah L. White, Mary Lou Benck
"Although Mike has not been with South County for long, he has demonstrated all the qualities of a great team leader and team player in Patient Access. He is a leader that listens, and you know that he will do what he can to bring any issue to a resolution.
He has gone above and beyond anyone who has ever been in his position. Our department has consistently experienced severe staffing shortages across all treatment facilities. Mike has always been willing to step in and actually work the shift himself in order to be sure the hospital can fulfill its responsibility to patient care. I have never seen a team leader willing to do this.
During the introduction of Jellyfish, he took on the role of "expert" so that he could support us during a difficult transition that called on his team to assume a role that was never intended or included as part of Patient Access's responsibility in a busy ED.
Mike is remarkable in many ways, but the quality I admire most is his grace and patience in the face of constant stress, unforeseen circumstances with staff, and constantly changing demands on his time."
Excellence in Stewardship
Jim Covington, Team Leader - Supply Chain
Nominated by: Mary Phillips
"Jim constantly challenges the cost of goods and services. He works closely with our group purchasing organization to utilize their contracts helping us achieve lower pricing. Jim has managed purchasing the supplies for most of the construction projects this year and has held to the budget or come in below projected costs. We all need to thank Jim for all his hard work and stewardship."
Provider/Physician of the Year
Peter Shorter, MD – Hospitalist
Nominated by: Rob Kornas, MD
"Dr. Shorter has been an asset to South County Health as a nocturnist. On countless occasions, he has provided life-saving treatment and care to critically ill patients in the ICU and on the medical floors. He continues to provide valuable, teachable feedback to his colleagues, nurses and support staff at night."
Patient Safety Champion
Daniel Almeida, Sr. Biomed Tech - Supply Chain
Nominated by: Shawn Bell
"Danny works hours for every department without question. Without his dedication many things affecting patient care would not run smoothly. His expertise should not go unrecognized."
Wellness Champion
Joanne Leeman, Lead MLT – Laboratory
Nominated by: Wellness Committee
"Previous to Virgin Pulse, Joanne had not used our Well Beyond program as much. She is not sure why, but does like that VP syncs with many devices. She purchased a FitBit. Prior to COVID, she played basketball for 30 years. Because she is no longer able to play basketball, this program has been valuable. She typically walks 10,000 steps during work and then walks more outside of work. She will walk in the snow and rain and likes to go different places to discover new areas. Her coworkers invite her to do challenges in VP where she can see her points, giving her the incentive to exercise more to stay in the lead."