By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
ONE FEATHER STAFF
Cynthia Lambert and Amanda Ledford took home the top two honors at the annual Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) Awards ceremony on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 6. Held in the hospital’s Rotunda, the awards honored excellence for 2018. Lambert won the Hayes Award and Ledford was named 2018 Employee of the Year.
Cynthia Lambert, left, was named the 2018 Hayes Award winner during the annual Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority Awards held in the Rotunda on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 6. She is shown with Casey Cooper, CIHA chief executive officer. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photos)
The Hayes Award, named for former CIHA Director of Quality Colleen Hayes is “presented to an employee who has led or facilitated a system or process change, resulting in risk mitigation, improved safety or quality improvement”.
Casey Cooper, CIHA chief executive officer, said Lambert had many accomplishments in 2018 including, “She assisted with the deployment of the continuous Blood Glucose Monitoring Project…this person worked with primary care teams on performance improvement to achieve sustained improvements on blood pressure, blood sugar, and lipid control, and assisted with referral process initiatives to prevent unnecessary delays in care.”
Past winners of the Hayes Award include: Chad Cooper (2010), Mary Beth Dorgan (2011), Victoria Harlan (2012), Jonathon Dando (2013), Sarah Wachacha (2014), Abby White (2015), Angel Squirrell (2016), and Dr. Laci Jamison (2017).
“No matter the project she was working on, she was completing it with pride and dedication,” Cooper said of Ledford. “From patient care to logistics, she approaches every task with willingness and care. No task is beneath her. From wound care to nail care, from inventory management to cleaning the floors, she will do whatever it takes.”
Amanda Ledford, left, was named the 2018 Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority Employee of the Year during the annual Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority Awards held in the Rotunda on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 6. She is shown with Casey Cooper, CIHA chief executive officer.
Past winners of the Employee of the Year Award include: Lisa Wildcatt (2006), Rita McMichael (2007), Bambi Sneed (2008), Jennifer Thompson (2009), Sonya Arch (2010), Mary Ann Farrell (2011), Jonthan Dando (2012), Elizabeth Helm (2013), Christina Panther (2014), all employees and teams in transition to the new facility (2015), Doug Trantham (2016), and Kristi Care (2017).
“I am overwhelmed that they chose me for this,” said Ledford, physical therapy assistant, who said she loves being a team player and helping people. “I just love it here and love being here and love the patients here.”
During the ceremony, employees were honored for their years of service including:
- 5-Year Service Awards: Deborah Allen, Lisa Anthony, Bree Brock, Michelle Cagle, Tonia Cannon, Donica Conseen, Brittany Cross, Dakota Dillard, Leslie Duncan, Michelle Hamilton, June Hensley, Anne Holt, Lisa Hoyle, Lisa Ivey, Laci Jamison, Linda Johnson, David Karuru, William Kelly, Heather Mackel, Evan Mathis, Mary McCoy, Danielle McGee, Danielle Murry, Jennifer Regan, Brittney Rogers, Everett Rollins, Jennifer Stigmon, Julia Smith, Bethany Stevenson, Emily Wegenka, and Janie Welch
- 10-Year Service Awards: Lisa Bernier, Joel Chisholm, Tiffani Hall, Heather Harlan, Kayla Holland, Terence Hooper, Vanesa Huskey, Robert Murray, Samuel Owle, Christina Panther, Jonathan Ruger, Kimberly Shuler, Brooke Thompson, and Blythe Winchester
- 15-Year Service Awards: Sonya Arch, Ginger Arkansas, Tracy Birchfield, Geraldine Bradley, Norma Craig, Jonathan Dando, Lisa Denzer, Teresa Dillard, Mary Beth Dorgan, Chena George, Amanda Gould, Colleen Hammonds, Lavinia Hicks, Rebecca Gail Hyde, Vicky Jenkins, Carmen Junaluska, Kathryn Kalonaheskie, Elista Long, Julie Lossiah, Juanita McCoy Mathews, Frances McMahan, Kimberly Middleton, Dana Nelson, Michael Queen, Suzette Sanchez, Bambi Sneed, and Julie Van Leuven
Employees who retired in 2018 were honored for their service including: Dennis R. Sneed, Martha S. Caulkins, Pamela S. Cucumber, Reginia E. McCauley, Mary J. Kazhe, Janet Shuler, and Samuel F. Washington.
