President’s Award: Ian Clark, VP, Performance Excellence and Strategy

“Ian is a personification of the mission and the values of this organization. He combines technical skill with the intangibles of doing the right thing at the right time to support the mission of South County Health. Outstanding effort, relentless pursuit of excellence, and always with humility, integrity, and perseverance. Ian is results-oriented, respectful, consistent, and it is my honor to present him with the President’s Award.”

Nomination by Aaron Robinson, President and CEO

Patient Safety Champion: Becky Kunzman, RN

“The empathy, care, and heart Becky puts into her patients is unmatched. Despite stressful and challenging days, Becky never wavers. Becky’s questioning attitude and pursuit of safety make her an exceptional nurse and coworker who deserves to be recognized.”

Nomination by Paige Damle, RN, BSN, Nurse Manager, Express Care

Wellness Champion: Donna Castricone, Dietitian, Oncology

“Donna is truly an inspiration. She makes all of our days brighter with her smile and laugh, and her remarkable support of both patients and fellow staff. Donna is an Oncology Dietitian who provides nutritional counseling to patients within the Cancer Center, and her passion for wellness lead to her organizing a successful Reiki program for our infusion patients. Donna has also taken the lead creating and organizing a well-received wellness bag for incoming patients undergoing radiation, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy.”

Nomination by Kim Ghonem, Oncology Practice Manager

Excellence in Stewardship: Derek Herard, Team Leader, Telecom Technician

“Derek’s commitment to stewardship has resulted in South County Health saving thousands of dollars. He goes above and beyond to ensure the customers he serves have what they need to provide good, safe, patient care. Derek has a can-do attitude. He is always positive and optimistic and strives to provide the best customer service to those he supports across the health system.”

Nomination by Angie Mathieu, VP, Chief Digital Officer

Leader of the Year: Paige Damle, RN

“Paige demonstrates a desire to learn and grow as a leader, as well as a desire to partner with her fellow ambulatory leaders to improve the care we deliver. She will be the first to offer to cover, and her example inspires her staff to answer the call to go above and beyond when asked. She views each patient through Express Care and the entire Medical Group as her patient, and holds her staff and providers to high standards of customer service and clinical excellence.”

Nomination by Drew Ross, Administrative Director, Physician Support

Provider of the Year: Angela Taber, MD

“Dr. Taber advocates for her patients as if they were her own family members. You will often hear Dr. Taber say that she lives in this community and wants to take great care of the people in it, and this shows every single day. Dr. Taber inspires confidence in her patients that they are in the best of hands here at SCH and ensures that they know she is here for them. Time and time again she must deliver difficult news, and she does this with a delicate honesty that patients respect.”

Nomination by Liz Tolmie, Administrative Director, Physician Support

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Nurse of the Year: Naomi Dufrene, RN

“Naomi is an extraordinary person and clinician. She has been with South County Health Homecare since February 2019. In that time, she has shown that she is a highly skilled nurse, a strong advocate, and she communicates well with providers, patients, their families, and other members of the home health team. She is always willing to help orient staff and take students. Her knowledge and calm, patient demeanor ensure that new staff have a successful orientation. Even in difficult situations, Naomi consistently demonstrates all the guiding values of South County Health.”

Nomination by Kendra Daigneault, Nurse Manager

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Employee of the Year: Michael Frade, Transporter

“As a Patient Transporter, Michael facilitates the movement of patients to the various units for care. In doing so, he plays an essential role in the safety of patients. He is gracious and generous in spirit, and this shows in his interactions, which contribute mightily to an exceptional patient experience. As Michael transports patients throughout the facility, you can observe that he’s found a way to connect, something to talk about, putting them at ease or singing, humming, whatever the situation calls for in making a meaningful human connection.”

Nomination by Maggie Thomas, VP, Human Resources