MISSISSIPPI ORGAN RECOVERY AGENCY HONORS THOSE WHO ARE COMMITTED TO SAVING AND HEALING LIVES THROUGH ORGAN, EYE AND TISSUE DONATION
3rd Annual Spero Awards held at Old Capitol Inn, Jackson
The Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA) served as host for the 3rd Annual Spero Awards on Thursday, July 21st, 2016 at the Old Capitol Inn in downtown Jackson. The awards ceremony recognized hospital partners, medical professionals, corporate partners and donor ambassadors who work tirelessly in conjunction with MORA to promote organ, eye and tissue donation to ultimately save and heal lives.
A total of 15 Spero Awards were presented to individuals and organizations from areas throughout the state as well as one Special Recognition Spero Award. The word Spero (Sp?-r?) is Latin for “hope”. The title was chosen to reflect the hope that organ and tissue donation brings to those in need of a lifesaving organ or a life improving tissue transplant.
Additionally, seven medical facilities in the state received Hospital Excellence Awards in recognition of their achievement of national organ donation performance standards by attaining one or more of three set goals.
2016 Spero Award recipients
Ancillary or Healthcare Staff of the Year- Hospitals for Hope Committee, North Mississippi Medical Center
Nurse Champion- Amber Overstreet, Greenwood Leflore Hospital
Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year- Megan Butts, University of Mississippi Medical Center
Physician Champion- Dr. Carrie Morgan Henderson, University of Mississippi Medical Center
Most Supportive Hospital Leadership- Susan Russell, Singing River Health Systems
Best Medical Management- Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg
Most Supportive Tissue Hospital- Hardy Wilson Memorial Hospital, Hazlehurst
Most Supportive Organ & Tissue Hospital- Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg
Most Supportive Mortuary Services- Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home, Biloxi
Most Supportive Coroner- Butch Benedict, Forrest County
Community Faith Leader or Chaplain of the Year- Chaplain Brian Williamson, Forrest General Hospital
Volunteer of the Year- Julie Dickerson, donor mom, Nettleton
Donation Advocate- Rachel Payne, transplant recipient, Vancleave
Red Heart Award-Brookhaven Department of Public Safety Station
Corporate Partner of the Year-Brown Bottling Group, Brandon
Special Recognition-Jimmy Roberts, Retired Rankin County Coroner
Mississippi Lions Eye Bank (MLEB) also presented the Gift of Sight Award to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo for their work in helping to facilitate sight saving corneal transplants. MLEB also awarded the inaugural Partner’s in Vision Award to Anderson Regional Medical Center in Meridian. This award recognizes the hospital partner that has helped to facilitate eye donations that resulted in the greatest percentage of corneas being transplanted, with a minimum of ten corneas being recovered during the year.
Hospital Excellence Awards were awarded to seven hospitals that have achieved national organ donation performance standards set by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Hospitals receiving those awards were:
Anderson Regional Medical Center, Meridian
Merit Health Central, Jackson
North Mississippi Medical Center, Tupelo
Ocean Springs Hospital, Ocean Springs
St. Dominic Hospital, Jackson
Singing River Hospital, Pascagoula
University of Mississippi Medical Center-Jackson
Also recognized during the ceremony were 36 hospitals from across the state that have enrolled in the Mississippi Hospitals for Hope campaign, which was developed to raise awareness for the need of organ, eye and tissue donation and increase registrations. The Hospitals recognized for their participation in the state Hospitals for Hope campaign were:
Anderson Regional Medical Center
Anderson Regional Medical Center-South
Covington County Hospital
Delta Regional Medical Center
Field Memorial Community Hospital
Forrest General Hospital
H.C. Watkins Memorial Hospital
Highland Community Hospital
Jasper General Hospital
John C. Stennis Memorial Hospital
King’s Daughters Medical Center
Laird Hospital
Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
Merit Health Biloxi
Merit Health Central Mississippi
Merit Health River Region
Mississippi Baptist Medical Center
Neshoba County Hospital
North Mississippi Medical Center
North Mississippi Medical Center-Iuka
North Mississippi Medical Center-Pontotoc
North Mississippi Medical Center-West Point
North Sunflower County Medical Center
Ocean Springs Hospital
OCH Regional Medical Center
Regency Hospital of Meridian
Rush Foundation Hospital
St. Dominic Jackson Memorial Hospital
Scott Regional Hospital
Simpson General Hospital
Singing River Hospital
South Central Regional Medical Center
Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center
The Specialty Hospital of Meridian
University of Mississippi Medical Center
University of Mississippi Medical Center-Grenada
For pictures from the event, please visit:
http://bit.ly/SperoAwards2016