Physician Heroes
Lifetime Achievement Winner
Nominations
A nomination may be submitted by any individual, including a person not affiliated with a Georgia hospital.
Categories Hospital Hero Award: (7 winners) Honors any Georgia hospital employees who has performed a heroic deed and/or tirelessly given of their time, talent and expertise to improve their organizations and the world around them. Retired board members are also eligible. Up to two Hospital Heroes will be categorized as Physician Heroes.
Lifetime Achievement Award: (One winner) Honors a Georgia hospital employee who has dedicated a lifetime of service (at least 30 years) and has made a significant impact in enhancing the operations and patient care of that particular facility.
Nominees must be employed or have medical privileges at a hospital that is a member of the Georgia Hospital Association. A nominee can be a person who works at a patient's bedside - such as a physician or nurse - or may be someone who does not directly interact with patients but who helps enhance the overall patient experience, such as a professional who works in an administrative capacity or other areas such as dietary, environmental services or physical plant operations. Hospital board members and trustees are eligible.
Requirements for the nomination include writing an essay of 750 words or less to explain why the nominee meets the criteria of a Hospital Hero.
History
The GHA Hospital Hero Awards were established in 2005 as a way of recognizing the amazing hospital workers in our state. Each year, individuals are honored with this prestigious award. Over the years, GHA has honored doctors, nurses, volunteers, environmental services staff, dietary aides, social workers, emergency medical services staff, and more. The program awards heroic deeds as well as long-time service to the health care field.
These prestigious statewide awards not only recognize deserving individuals, but they are also a way to bring some great PR to your hospital. Award winners are honored with unique video presentations at a special luncheon later in the year.
The 2019 competition will open January 1.
Submitting a Nomination Q: How do I submit a nomination? A: Online submission for the 2019 competition will become available January 1. Q: What is required as part of the nomination process? A: Your name and contact information, the name of your nominee, and an essay of 750 words or less to explain why your nominee meets the criteria of a Hospital Hero. Q: I know the perfect person to nominate, but I am hesitant about my writing skills. What are the judges looking for in a winning entry? A: Having professional writing skills is not essential for writing a good entry. After giving a brief background on the nominee, remember to provide specific examples of why that person deserves the award. Does she go out of her way to help patients? Give an example. Does he always show his co-workers how special they are? Give an example. Is there one heroic event that stands out in your mind? Be as descriptive as possible. Remember, the judges don’t know your nominee as well as you do – that’s why an essay is required. The entries that stand out above the others are those that describe the various reasons you and/or other co-workers believe the nominee is a hero. Q: The person I am thinking about nominating has not committed a single heroic act that saved a life, but has been a faithful, loyal employee to our hospital for several years. Would he/she be a good candidate for this award? A: Yes. In the many years of this program, several individuals like that have been named a Georgia Hospital Hero. Q: May I nominate the same person for a Hospital Hero Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award? A: No. You must choose one category in which to enter a nominee. However, you may enter multiple nominees from your hospital. Q: Are hospital board members eligible if they do not work or have medical privileges at the hospital? A: Yes. Q: Must the nominee be a caregiver, like a physician or nurse? A: No. Anyone employed by a Georgia hospital is eligible for consideration. Q: May I submit a posthumous nomination? A: Yes. Q: Can anyone submit an entry, even if the nominator is neither affiliated with, nor employed by, any hospital? A: Yes. Q: Is there a limit to the number of entries my hospital can submit? A: No. Q: Can I submit testimonial letters with my nomination? A: Yes. Please send to estewart@gha.org. Q: My hospital had a winner last year. Can I still submit a nomination? A: Yes. Resubmissions
Q: I submitted an entry last year, but my nominee did not win. May I resubmit the entry this year? A: Yes. You may submit either the same entry OR a different entry for the same nominee, whichever you prefer Q: May I nominate more than one person or a group of people for one award? A: This is an individual award and we strongly recommend nominating only one person per award. However, GHA recognizes that there are rare instances in which a group nomination may be appropriate. Awards given to these groups are at the judges’ discretion.
Winners
Q: When and how are the winners notified?
A: GHA will notify the people who submitted the nominations (not the winners) a few weeks after the deadline, which is usually at the end of February. Then the nominators can share the good news with the people they nominated.
Congratulations to Our 2017 Hospital Heroes!
Hospital Heroes
Physician Hero Randolph R. Smith, M.D. - Plastic Surgeon, Board Chairman Emeritus - University Health Care System
Lifetime Achievement Winner Douglas C. Morris, M.D. - Professor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine - Emory Healthcare
Past Hospital Heroes
2016
2015
2014
2013
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