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Fall Recognition Celebration recognizes Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine employees

A new diabetes education session for the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese population of Harrisburg.

A recording-setting Drug Take-Back Program last spring that netted more than 595 pounds of medications and 26 containers of needles and syringes.

These were just two of the many achievements recognized at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine’s Fall Recognition Celebration on Nov. 6.

The event, which honored 30 individuals and teams, included Employees of the Month, Employee of the Year, Patient Experience, Community Awards and other recognitions. Deborah Berini, president of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and Dr. Kevin Black, interim dean of the College of Medicine, gave opening remarks and presented the awards.

Employees of the Month

  • May 2018 – Kerry Deitrick, licensed practical nurse, Children’s Heart Group
  • June 2018 – Daryl Detwiler, cardiac sonographer, Adult Echocardiography Lab
  • July 2018 – Cindy Devine, senior staff coordinator, College of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs
  • August 2018 – Renee Miller, respiratory therapist, Respiratory Care
  • September 2018 – Carol Fees, administrative associate, Clinical Engineering
  • October 2018 – Amy Schwalm, data management specialist, Stroke Program
  • November 2018 – Darlene Miller-Cooley, chaplain, Pastoral Services
  • December 2018 – Erica Brenner, Informatics Distribution associate, Pharmacy
  • January 2019 – Robert Basehore, Environmental Health, Hope Drive outpatient clinics
  • February 2019 – Jamie Agnew-Gruber, administrative associate, Emergency Medicine
  • March 2019 – Denise Newhard, social worker, Pediatric Bone and Joint Institute
  • April 2019 – Amy Dailey, radiation therapist, Radiation Oncology

Employee of the Year

  • Cindy Devine, senior staff coordinator, College of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs

Steve and Sharon Baron Leadership Awards

  • Nonsupervisory staff – Bill Krenz, administrative associate for Community Health, Department of Nursing
  • Manager/supervisor – the Rev. David Simmons, director of Pastoral Services
  • Faculty – Dr. Charles M. Davis, III, division chief, Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Service, Penn State Bone and Joint Institute

The Michael B. Bongiovanni, MD, Patient Experience Awards

  • Individual Award – Allison Irvin, Perinatal Center coordinator
  • Team Award – Life Lion EMS Community Paramedicine: Jason Druschel, Miranda Grimm and Loren Miller

Patient Satisfaction Awards

Patient Experience Peak Performer Award

This award is presented to the department, unit or clinic with the highest overall rating on its respective patient experience survey:

  • Adult Inpatient – Penn State Heart and Vascular Progressive Care Unit
  • Pediatric Inpatient – Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
  • Medical Group Practice Site – Penn State Health Breast Center

Patient Experience Dean’s List Award

This award is presented to individual providers scoring in the 99th to 100th percentile rank for overall rating on the Medical Group Practice Site Patient Experience survey:

  • Ann Bogdan ― Family and Community Medicine
  • Jennifer Hosband ― physician assistant, Penn State Health Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy, State College
  • Raymond Reichwein, neurologist, Penn State Neuroscience Institute
  • Ashley Snyder, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine

Community Awards

Community Benefit Inventory for Social Accountability (CBISA) Reporter of the Year

The following three individuals have gone above and beyond in their roles to consistently gather and enter community benefit data into CBISA, and share events and reminders with their departments:

  • Emmy Sasala, Pediatric Trauma and Injury Prevention
  • Julie Chudnofsky, Tobacco Cessation Programs
  • Julie Groh, Nursing Community Outreach

      Community Relations Start-up Grant

  • Aditi Sharma ― graduate assistant, doctor of public health program, Penn State College of Medicine
  • Megan Mendez Miller ― Family and Community Medicine

Community Innovation

  • Brandon Wattai ― Life Lion EMS Community Paramedicine

Community Leader

  • Kimie Cimarelli ― director, Pharmacy Inpatient Services

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