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In This Issue:
Five-year Service Award recipients celebrate.
As Charles Stuppard, patient escort, walked down the red carpet at last week’s Service Awards, he drew thundering applause from his colleagues. That’s because in his 40 years at BWH, Stuppard has met hundreds—if not thousands—of employees and patients as he guides patients to various locations throughout the main campus and greets colleagues along the way.
Stuppard was among hundreds of employees honored for years of service, dedication and contributions to BWH during last week’s 29th annual Service Awards ceremony, which recognizes employee service in increments of five years.
“This has been an extraordinary year at BWH filled with monumental accomplishments—none of which is possible without your talent, passion and commitment, whether you have been here for five years or 50,” said BWH President Gary Gottlieb, MD, MBA, to the BWHers, friends and family members who packed the Cabot Atrium for the festive celebration. “To each one of you, thank you for making Brigham and Women’s Hospital one of the best in the world.”
During the ceremony, employees who have served for 20 or more years were called up to shake hands with Gottlieb as an announcer read details about each person’s favorite memories, best parts of their jobs and other anecdotes.
Chief Operating Officer Kate Walsh and Vice President of Public Affairs Peter Brown led the audience on a trip down memory lane, looking back at each of the years that service awardees began at BWH. They kicked off with 2004, when employees celebrating five years of service joined BWH—also the year that a surgical team completed the first in the nation quintuple lung transplant and the Red Sox captured the World Series title for the first time in 86 years.
In 1964, when 45-year honoree Zoe Wheeler of Hematology began her career here, Brown and Walsh treated the audience to a bit of nostalgia and had everyone dancing in their seats to a sound clip from “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” which the Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan Show that year.
Lisa Ponton, JD, vice president of Human Resources, served as master of ceremonies. “What an inspiring event,” she said. “I love it because we get a chance to recognize and honor each of you.”
See more photos in the Service Award Photo Gallery.
Rehabilitation Services’ Robert Camarda, Rebecca Stephenson and Barbara Odaka celebrate their years of service.