Beaufort Memorial Honors Top Employees with Bemmy Awards

Beaufort Memorial employees were the toast of the town during the fourth annual Bemmy Awards ceremony last week, as dedicated hospital staff and dynamic departments were recognized for their contributions to the organization and healthcare in the Lowcountry.

Held annually during Hospital Week, the Bemmy Awards feature 11 categories that honor exemplary performance by Beaufort Memorial staff members during the previous year.

“We have a lot of really great things going on right now at Beaufort Memorial. We have a lot to celebrate in terms of what we’re doing to expand access to care, and are inviting lots of new people into our organization,” said Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley, kicking off the evening. “Our organization is about people. It’s not bricks and mortar, it’s not about new buildings. It’s about the people providing the great care to this community, to our patients.”

Respiratory therapist James Kemmerlin, CRT took home the Vaux Award for Clinical Employee of the Year. Kemmerlin was involved in two lifesaving scenarios with premature babies born at Beaufort Memorial – one infant, he manually gave breaths to for three and a half hours until the NICU team – delayed due to weather conditions – could arrive and transport the child.

In another instance, Kemmerlin used a neonatal resuscitation bag on a 25-week-old infant for over four hours.

“He did a fantastic job with the care of the 25-week-old baby,” Kemmerlin’s nomination read. “We learned that four days later the baby was doing well and off the ventilator, thanks in part to James’ excellent care.” Runner-up for the award was third floor nurse Teri Willard, RN, who showed deep compassion to a patient whose first language was not English, making them feel comfortable, safe and at ease.

The Non-Clinical Employee of the Year award went to wellness coach and former LifeFit Wellness Center manager David Purser, whose nomination detailed his “innate ability to inspire and motivate others, always leading with integrity and a positive attitude, no matter the challenges.” Purser has also shown leadership during his transition from manager to part-time wellness coach as he continues nursing school.

Dawn Cooper, a patient financial specialist at the Healthlink pediatric outpatient clinic in Bluffton, was the runner-up for this award, acting as the “backbone of the clinic,” exemplifying accountability and dedication, and showing compassion above and beyond for the patients.

The Department of the Year for 2024 was Quality Services Department for the group’s commitment to teamwork, as well as demonstrating “a deep commitment to improving patient outcomes, reducing risks, improving patient safety while fostering excellence in the care we give our patients.” The department also facilitates inter-departmental collaboration, working alongside every aspect of the hospital to establish a multidisciplinary approach to quality and healthcare excellence.

Food and Nutrition took the runner-up title for Department of the Year. Their nomination highlighted their resourcefulness in the face of staff shortages, their perseverance and their creativity, as well as their willingness to band together to help a team member who experienced homelessness.

Telehealth services manager Jon Lohr was honored with the Innovator of the Year award for his efforts to advance healthcare technology used at Beaufort Memorial.

“Jon has successfully implemented DAX and Phreesia, two transformative digital health solutions that streamline clinical workflows, enhance patient engagement and improve documentation accuracy,” his nomination read. “His leadership in integrating these technologies has not only optimized provider efficiency but also improved patient outcomes by reducing administrative burdens on clinicians.”

Runner-up was clinical instructor Ashley Brown, BSN, RN who was nominated for her introduction of several education initiatives that support staff from across numerous departments and her outreach to students interested in healthcare careers.

Other recipients:

• Provider of the Year: Saeed Rehman, M.D., Pratt Emergency Center Medical Director (Runner-up: Carri Knapp, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, advanced practice provider at Express Care and Occupational Health)
• Community Volunteer of the Year: Cheryl Rodriguez, PT, pediatric physical therapist at HealthLink for Children in Bluffton (Runner-up: Ashton Viterbo, MS. ATC, Business Development and Employer Relations Manager)
• Zero Harm Award: Laurie Lacerre, inpatient ultrasound tech (Runner-up: oncology nurse Brandie Gillian, Keyserling Cancer Center)
• Volunteer of the Year: Mark McCain, an ER volunteer logging hundreds of hours (Runner-up: Randy Waldorf, transportation volunteer)
• Rookie of the Year: Casey Crane, Director of Hospital-Based Physician Services (Runner-up: Shailei McEnulty, occupational therapist with Inpatient Rehab)
• Leader of the Year: Megan Mack, OTR/L, MSHA, FACHE, Director of Rehab Services (Runner-up: LeeAnne Smith, MSN, RN, Behavioral Health Services Director)
• Patient Experience Champions (selected based on exceptional patient survey scores): Island Imaging (outpatient category), 3T Pediatrics and Medical/Surgical unit (inpatient category) and Sea Island Psychiatry (physician practices category)