Trident Health Celebrates Employees at Annual Service Awards Banquet
April 7, 2015
CHARLESTON, SC – Five employees were recognized for 40 years of continuous, full-time service at Trident Health’s annual Service Awards Banquet recently, while two others took home the most prestigious awards of the evening. The reward and recognition event distinguishes employees celebrating milestone anniversaries and those with significant professional achievements.
During the event, Bonnie Johnson, Melody Pinckney, Barbara Righter, Linda Stone and Julia Wilson were each recognized for reaching the 40-year milestone. In addition, Maria Teresa Alaisa, patient coordinator for Trident Medical Center’s Progressive Care Unit earned the Trident Award. “It is evident with every shift Maria Teresa works that her goals are to provide excellent care to our patients, educate and support the staff and make the Progressive Care Unit the best it can be,” said Elizabeth Ussery, manager of the Progressive Care Unit.
Joan Funderburk, monitor technician for Summerville Medical Center’s Telemetry department earned the Summerville Award. “Joanie connects with people of all kinds and has the gift of giving comfort, kindness, empathy and most of all compassion,” said Carolyn Ogrodnik , director of the Medical-Surgical Unit at Summerville Medical Center. “Not a day goes by that she doesn’t demonstrate all of these qualities.”
Left: Trident Health CEO Todd Gallati (left) and Summerville Medical Center CEO Lisa Valentine (right) congratulate Joan Funderburk (center) with the Summerville Award.
Right: Trident Health CEO Todd Gallati (right) presents Maria Teresa Alasia (left) with the Trident Award.
The Trident and Summerville Award nominees are designated by directors and collected quarterly from each department. Each year, the administrative team determines one winner to represent each facility. The award recipients each receive $1,000 and a bouquet of flowers. In addition, $1,000 is also sent to a charity of each recipient’s choice.
More than 300 additional employees were recognized for their years of service in categories ranging from five to 39 years. The health system celebrated a combined 4,165 total years of service to Trident Health.
“To have so many employees who have dedicated decades of service to Trident Health is a real testament to our organization and the character and commitment of our wonderful team,” said Trident Health CEO Todd Gallati. “We are so grateful and blessed to have these individuals as part of our staff.”
About Trident Health
Trident Health is a 407-bed HCA hospital system comprised of two acute care hospitals – Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center – as well as two free standing emergency departments- Centre Pointe Emergency and Moncks Corner Medical Center. The Joint Commission recently named Trident Health as one of the nation’s top hospitals for quality and safety for the fourth year in a row. Other noteworthy services include a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, an award-winning Heart Center, the Trident Breast Care Center, and the South Carolina Institute for Robotic Surgery. Together, Summerville and Trident Medical Centers welcome more babies than any other hospital in the Lowcountry. Accredited by The Commission, Trident Health is committed to providing quality health services along with wellness information and opportunities to the communities it serves. For more information about Trident Health, visit www.tridenthealthsystem.com or call 843.797.7000.
