Beaufort Memorial honors employee service
Nearly 200 Beaufort Memorial Hospital employees were honored earlier this month for their dedication and years of service to the community during the health system’s annual Employee Service Awards.
The celebration recognized 190 employees representing a combined 1,985 years of service to the nonprofit hospital system.
Honorees included staff marking 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 45 years with the organization. Among them were 92 employees celebrating five years, 52 with 10 years, 13 with 15 years, 16 with 20 years and 11 with 25 years of service. One employee was honored for 30 years, four for 35 years and one for an exceptional 45 years with Beaufort Memorial.
Christine Smith, a central transporter at the main hospital in Beaufort, received a standing ovation for her 45 years of service. President and CEO Russell Baxley praised Smith and others with long tenures, comparing their enduring dedication to the Lowcountry’s live oak trees, calling them “rock solid, sturdy, dependable, everlasting.”
Three employees with 35 years of service — Deborah Cofer, a catheterization lab technician; Sharon Simmons, a clinical analyst; and Juanita Singleton-Murray, RN, MSN, a psychiatric nurse — were also recognized with standing ovations. Milagros Calderon, a financial accounts specialist, was honored in absentia, and Linda Arp, a respiratory care practitioner, was recognized for 30 years with Beaufort Memorial.
During the ceremony, Baxley reflected on the importance of loyalty and commitment in today’s workforce, referencing one of his favorite quotes: “Grow where your feet are planted.”
“There is something so special about this, especially in a world like today’s,” Baxley said. “Your commitment shines through, and we thank you for that. We thank you for your dedication.”
Beaufort Memorial Hospital, founded in 1944, is a nonprofit health care system serving Beaufort, Bluffton and surrounding Lowcountry communities. The annual awards ceremony highlights the organization’s emphasis on community, longevity and service in health care.
