Southeast-Area Alabama Hospital Heroes Honored
By: Blake Deshazo
Updated: November 15, 2012
Dothan, Ala.
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Five area hospital employees and one area physician were honored for
their dedication to the health care field today at a luncheon in Dothan
hosted by the Southeast Regional
Council of the Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHA).
The luncheon is one of seven regional awards presentations being held as part of AlaHA's
10th annual
statewide "Hospital Hero" award contest, which recognizes the value of
health careers and honors
hospital employees who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the
health care field. The contest will culminate with a banquet in February
where up to 10 of the regional winners will be honored as statewide
Hospital Heroes. One statewide Hospital Physician
Hero will also be recognized in February.
"AlaHA
is honored to recognize those outstanding caregivers who go above and
beyond the call
of duty to help their co-workers and to make their patients feel
special," said J. Michael Horsley, FACHE, president of the Alabama
Hospital Association. "These amazing individuals deserve to be called
heroes not only because they are an inspiration to their
colleagues, but also because they have raised the bar in terms of what
it means to provide exceptional patient care."
Southeast-area
Hospital Hero honorees include: Addie McKinzie, director of revenue
assurance,
Southeast Alabama Medical Center; Joanne Powers, cancer registry
coordinator, Flowers Hospital; Jack Scobie, construction supervisor,
Southeast Alabama Medical Center; Regina White, MT (ASCP), laboratory
chief technologist, Troy Regional Medical Center; and
Cynthia Wilson, RN, nursing supervisor, Flowers Hospital; The Hospital
Hero Physician Honoree is Dr. Roland Brooks, cardiologist, Flowers
Hospital.
Addie McKinzie, director of revenue assurance, Southeast Alabama Medical Center, Dothan
Addie
McKinzie has been with Southeast Alabama Medical Center for nearly 40
years and currently
serves as the director of revenue assurance. Her fellow employees often
speak of how much they appreciate her caring spirit and her willingness
to help anyone in need at any time. One co-worker recently said, "There
have been times when she has given her last
dollars to help someone in need." Ms. McKinzie's kindness is also
expressed through her cooking. She is well known for baking pound cakes,
which she delivers on a regular basis to people she believes deserve
thanks or to those she knows could use a word of
encouragement. She does all of this despite having dealt with many
hardships in her own life. Ms. McKinzie has suffered the loss and both a
son and a daughter. After her daughter passed away in 2007, Ms.
McKinzie began caring for her children. She is also the
primary caregiver for her older sister. Through it all she is always
quick to offer compassion, hope and caring to those who need it,
according to those who work with her. In fact, hospital leaders have
even been known to send employees needing encouragement
or advice to Ms. McKinzie.
Joanne Powers, cancer registry coordinator, Flowers Hospital, Dothan
Joanne
Powers serves as the cancer registry coordinator at Flowers Hospital,
where she is
responsible for recording data on the hospital's cancer patients that
physicians use to make improvements to cancer therapies and support
treatment. In 2010 she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and soon
after began struggling to walk. Her fellow employees
often speak of how she inspired them by dedicating herself to overcoming
her physical challenges while remaining dedicated to her duties at the
hospital. As a result of her perseverance, she is now walking
unassisted. In addition to her contributions to Flowers
Hospital, Ms. Powers is also involved in her community. She helped bring
the first Multiple Sclerosis walk to Dothan, which recruited more than
300 walkers and raised more than $25,000. As president-elect of the
Alabama Cancer Registrar Association, she is
working to bring the organization's state meeting to Dothan in the near
future and hopes to raise money for Relay for Life at the event. Ms.
Powers' positive spirit has earned the admiration of her co-workers. As
one recently said, "She supports those who cannot
stand, pushes for those that cannot walk, campaigns for those who have
lost their voice, believes in those who have lost their faith and
encourages the discouraged."
Jack Scobie, construction supervisor, Southeast Alabama Medical Center, Dothan
Jack
Scobie is the construction supervisor for in-house construction in the
planning and
development division of Southeast Alabama Medical Center, where he
oversees renovations and expansions at the hospital's main campus and
approximately 40 of its other properties and clinics. Those who work
closely with him often speak of how much they appreciate
his kindness and patience in explaining complex construction projects to
health care workers, as well as his dedication to ensuring all tasks
meet expectations. His co-workers are not only impressed with his
efforts on the job, they also admire his dedication
to helping those who are impoverished around the world. Since 1980 he
has participated in mission work travelling to remote areas in Central
and South America to help provide basic necessities, including clean
water, to those who have nothing. Mr. Scobie pays
for the trips out of his own pocket and often must sleep outdoors or
carry heavy equipment long distances while performing mission
construction work. Closer to home, every summer he volunteers as a
groundskeeper, counselor and construction worker for a church
camp in Florida. One of his co-workers recently said of his service,
"Jack truly loves his fellow man and sets an example each and every
day."
Regina White, MT (ASCP), laboratory chief technologist, Troy Regional Medical Center,
Troy
Regina
White has been with Troy Regional Medical Center since 1999 and
currently serves as
chief technologist for the laboratory. According to co-workers, she
constantly makes sure the lab is adequately staffed to take care of
patients, even if it means working an extra shift herself or visiting
the lab on her days off to make sure she is not needed.
Fellow employees also speak of her kindness and compassion. For example,
on a cold winter morning a child once came to the emergency department
badly burned from a stove accident. When the accident occurred, the
child's mother was in the process of bathing
her other three children and wrapped them in towels to get to the
hospital quickly. Ms. White told the laboratory director she was leaving
to take care of an errand but instead came back with warm clothes she
had purchased for the children, including shoes
and jackets. She dressed them and made sure they received a hot
breakfast. In speaking of her generosity a co-worker recently said of
Ms. White, "She inspires everyone around her to do more, to be more,
with and without words by setting an example of service
and caring for us to see and follow."
Cynthia Wilson, RN, nursing supervisor, Flowers Hospital, Dothan
Cynthia
Wilson has been a nurse with Flowers Hospital for 23 years and since
2006 has served
as nursing supervisor for the nursing administration department.
Employees of the hospital have often commented about how much they
admire the fact that she treats each of her patients the way she would
want members of her family to be treated. She is also
known among co-workers for her leadership. "The most endearing
characteristic of Cynthia's personality is her dedication to the
patients she cares for and the support of the staff," associate director
of nursing Charles Tew, RN, recently said. Once such example
of her compassion occurred when Ms. Wilson was caring for a patient with
HIV/AIDS during a time when little was known about the disease.
Noticing that no family or friends visited the patient and that all who
treated him wore masks and gloves, she decided to
begin visiting him. In the end, Ms. Wilson was by his side holding his
hand with her ungloved hand when he died. Ms. Wilson is also a cancer
survivor who has participated in Relay for Life, and she is an active
member of her church who has helped with many
of its fundraising events that benefit the community.
Hospital Hero Physician
Dr. Roland Brooks, cardiologist, Flowers Hospital, Dothan
Dr.
Roland Brooks is a cardiologist at Flowers Hospital, where he has
served as chief of
medicine, vice chief of staff and chief of staff. He has been a member
of the hospital's board of trustees since 2008 and has been medical
director of the Heart and Vascular Institute and Cardiac Rehab since
1996. His colleagues credit his leadership with being
responsible for many of the strides made at the hosptial in recent
years, including Flowers Hospital's number one ranking in the nation in
2008 for quality care in the areas of acute myocardial infarction,
congestive heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care.
Dr. Brooks is also dedicated to his community. He has coached Dixie
Youth baseball, Boy's Club basketball and city league soccer and has
served on the board of directors for Dixie Youth Recreation and the
Boy's Club. He also volunteers his time to the Southeast
Alabama Dance Company and has been stage manager for many of its
performances. "On the ball field, in the cath lab or in the boardroom,
Dr. Brooks is committed to training, practicing, winning fairly and
playing with heart," said Flowers' vice president of
support services Joey Hester. "He is the consummate coach and mentor
both inside and outside Flowers Hosptial."
