Two celebrated for 45 years with the organization
Staff reports
Beaufort Memorial honored 227 employees at their annual Employee Service Awards on Thursday, Oct. 10, celebrating a combined total of more than 2,500 years of compassionate dedication to the organization.
Thursday’s batch of 227 honorees included employees celebrating five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of service to Beaufort Memorial, as well as two 45-year veterans topping the list.
“That is hard to find,” Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley said about the group of honorees – one of the largest groups the hospital has celebrated yet. “We work in a unique and very difficult industry. Commitment to this industry shows passion, dedication and perseverance.”
The event, held at the Port Royal Sound Foundation Pavilion in Okatie, brought families, friends and coworkers together for a night of laughter, celebration and camaraderie.
In total, the honorees Thursday evening shared a whopping 2,545 years of service with Beaufort Memorial. The organization honored 95 employees for five years of service, 67 employees for 10 years, 19 employees for 15 years, 23 employees for 20 years, 15 for 25 years, four for 30 years, and two each for 35 and 45 years.
The two employees celebrating the longest tenure with the health care organization were cardiopulmonary assistant Kathleen Jolly and Vice President of Patient Care Karen Carroll, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, who both began with the organization 45 years ago.
Jolly said that she loves her job because of the people she works with, and she even has several family members who work with Beaufort Memorial, too.
“It’s a family affair,” she laughed.
Carroll addressed reception attendees after being honored for her 45 years, calling her time at Beaufort Memorial “an absolutely wonderful experience.”
“The hospital has been a family to me,” she said. “It’s a great place to work.”
Labor and delivery nurse Cheryl Savel and cardiopulmonary rehab nurse Kim Raines rang in 35 years of service, and the folks celebrating 30 years were Laura Cole (pharmacy), Nadeen Singleton (food and nutrition), Vickie “Starr” Spearman (cardiopulmonary rehab) and Robin Stoltz (cath lab).
Baxley lauded honorees for their commitment to not just Beaufort Memorial, but to the hospital’s greater mission of compassionate, innovative care as well.
“You guys do it with grace, you do it with honor and you do it with kindness,” he said. “I appreciate that, the patients appreciate that, and the community appreciates that.”
