Beaufort Memorial celebrates top staff at annual Bemmy Awards
From staff reports
Beaufort Memorial hosted its third annual Bemmy Award ceremony Thursday, May 16, a celebration of its most outstanding employees held each year during National Hospital Week. Awards in 10 categories were presented to recognize exemplary performance over the previous year.
“The Bemmy Awards ceremony is one of my favorite Beaufort Memorial traditions not just because it’s fun, but because it’s a unique opportunity to highlight the amazing work that our employees do,” said Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley. “Healthcare is a difficult occupation. But we withstand the hardships that come our way because we choose to be in healthcare to serve people. And it’s breathtaking how much effort our people put in to caring for our patients. So, taking the time to honor and thank them is essential.”
Deb Cofer, a catheterization laboratory technician at the Cochrane Heart Center, was named the Vaux Clinical Employee of the Year. Described as “an angel on earth” in her nomination for the award, Cofer is known as someone who goes the extra mile for her department. “If you are lucky enough to work with her or be taken care of by her you are getting world class care,” said Baxley. “She dedicates her life to helping others and is one of the leaders of this organization.” The award is named in memory of Ruthven Vaux, a longtime Bluffton resident and former member of the BMH Board of Trustees.
The Non-Clinical Employee of the Year Award went to Food and Nutrition Aide Austin Lanier for his infectious smile, attention to detail and amiability with patients and coworkers. “Austin is one of the biggest rays of sunshine to work at BMH,” said Baxley in reading Lanier’s nomination. “He knows most nurses by first name and greets everyone with a smile. And he always goes above and beyond his duties to get the job done well.” As Lanier was unable to attend the ceremony, he was presented with his award on Friday at the hospital.
The Women’s Imaging Department earned the Bemmy Award for Department of the Year. The department experienced notable growth this year with Beaufort Memorial’s acquisition of Island Imaging on Hilton Head Island in October. “The mammography department served 22,801 patients in 2023,” said Baxley. “So, to tell you their staff is great or that they work hard would be an understatement. And not only do they work hard, but they also forge rewarding relationships among each other, with their patients and in their communities.”
Yvette Pellegrino, M.D., Lady’s Island Internal Medicine primary care and obesity medicine provider, was awarded the Bemmy Award for Provider of the Year. In presenting the award, Baxley read several patient comments exalting Pellegrino’s skill and thoughtfulness, including one that said, “Dr. Pellegrino has saved and completely changed my life.”
Runners-up for the hospital’s top awards are: Jaime Patillo, OT, outpatient rehabilitation pelvic floor and occupational therapist (Clinical Employee of the Year); Patricia Atanasio, medical staff coordinator (Non-Clinical Employee of the Year); Materials Management Department (Department of the Year); Robert Vyge, M.D., Lady’s Island Internal Medicine primary care provider (Provider of the Year).
Other Recipients include:
- Community Volunteer Hero of the Year: Candice Chappell, BSN, RN, Intensive Care Unit registered nurse (Runner-up: Lea Cifranick-McFadden, CCC-SLP, HealthLink for Children pediatric speech language pathologist)
- Innovator of the Year: Tammy Bauknight, CPC, CPCO, CPMA, CPPM, Revenue Cycle Department director of coding services (Runner-up: Brian Ruiz, Ph.D., DABR, Keyserling and New River Cancer Centers radiation oncology medical physicist)
- Zero Harm Safety Champion: Carrie McClure, BSN, RN, Collins Birthing Center registered nurse (Runner-up: Rebekah Crandall, PharmD, hospital pharmacist)
- Rookie of the Year: Emma Beach, Hospital Orthopedics and Medical/Surgical Unit patient care technician (Runner-up: Jaysun Puryear, Cochrane Heart Center cardiopulmonary assistant)
- Leader of the Year: Denise Lindsey, MSN, RN, director of perioperative services (Runner-up: Carrie Confare, LBSW, care coordination case management director)
- Patient Experience Champions (selected based on exceptional patient survey scores): Lowcountry Medical Group Imaging (outpatient category), Beaufort Memorial Pulmonary Specialists (physician practices category) and Beaufort Memorial Emergency Department (in-patient category).
Beaufort Memorial’s Employee Engagement Committee selects finalists for Bemmy Awards by reviewing nominations made by staff members eager to recognize their colleagues as well as nominations for monthly You Shine Through Award recipients. The committee submitted top candidates from among 117 nominations to the hospital’s senior leadership team, which selected the winners.
“Each of the winners truly embodies our core values of safety, innovation and compassion,” Baxley said. “They are examples in the workplace and exemplary members of our community. We could not be prouder of what they’ve accomplished this year.”
In addition to an Emmy Awards-style red carpet experience, the Bemmy Awards celebration, held at Old Bay Marketplace, featured live music, drinks, hors d’oeuvres and a seated dinner before the award ceremony.
