I often talk about Blue Ridge Regional Hospital’s (BRRH) wide-ranging services, how we serve our community, and our plans for the future. This month, I wanted to highlight four reasons to celebrate your Hometown Hospital. I’m happy to say that our team continues to excel by providing the best, most compassionate care, and these individual recognitions contribute to why BRRH is so outstanding.
1. We have a DAISY Award winner
The DAISY Award® was first introduced in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who passed away from an autoimmune disease after an eight-week hospital stay. The award was a way to acknowledge and honor the exemplary nurses who cared for him and his family’s gratitude for nursing excellence.
This year, our nursing superhero is Wendy Allen, RN, who works in our Infusion Department. Similar to the original DAISY Award, she was nominated by a grateful family of a recurring patient. Unfortunately, this patient experienced a lengthy period of decline, and Wendy went the extra mile. In addition to providing superior care, she regularly contacted the patient at home, checking in with love and concern. She always ensures that her patients are comfortable and feel deeply cared for. Her nominator said it best: “She is such a delightful nurse with a true light of love for her job that shines bright!”
2. BRRH team members received HCA Healthcare Awards of Distinction
The Awards of Distinctions went to four of our most talented, deserving team members:
- Lois Laws, ED Nurse, Nursing Excellence: Compassionate Care
- Lois’ compassion and professionalism are boundless, and her connections with patients and families are deep, as she shares some of their most vulnerable times with them. She possesses a rare combination of clinical expertise, a serenity that soothes patients, and steady commitment that impacts every patient she cares for.
- Joie Picker, Administrative Director of Quality and Infection Prevention, Nursing Excellence: Professional Mentoring
- Joie’s natural leadership and generous mentoring have impacted our teams so positively. Her dedication to collaboration, the highest professional standards, and professional development inspires team members’ growth and benefits BRRH, always enhancing patient care and quality.
- Lorrie Smith, Patient Care Technician — Frist Humanitarian Award: Employee
- There’s not a day that goes by where Lorrie’s generosity, heart for service, and compassion doesn’t show through. She lifts up and cares for her colleagues, families, and community and always has her sights set on what she can do to help. This is the core of humanitarian service, and she models these values for us all at BRRH.
- Charles Buchanan, Volunteer — Frist Humanitarian Award: Volunteer
- Charles’ work as a volunteer is marked by gentle, consistent caring and ever-present warmth, which significantly improves the environment for patients, visitors, and staff. His presence is reassuring, calm, and comforting, which makes his impact so meaningful.
We celebrated these exceptional team members recently at our 3rd Annual Service Awards Banquet.
3. BRRH’s emergency department earned the Unit of Distinction Honorable Mention Award
Day in and day out, our Emergency Department, which is staffed by the most competent, responsive, and caring providers and team members, provides unmatched care to our community members at some of the most challenging times in their lives.
4. We’re welcoming accomplished, compassionate new providers
We’re always excited to welcome providers into our community and we have three we’d to introduce.
Dr. David Geurkink, a primary care physician and sports medicine specialist who will start serving patients at Mission Community Primary Care - Spruce Pine (Mission Health Mauzy Phillips Center) on August 24th, has relocated here with his wife Anna Geurkink, PA, who will be in primary care at our Blue Ridge Medical Center - Yancey Campus as of September 8th.
The Geurkinks come to us from Waco, Texas, where Dr. Geurkink worked for Coryell Memorial Hospital in Gatesville, Texas as a PRN Hospitalist and a PRN Emergency Department Physician at Goodall Witcher in Clifton, Texas. He has published work in peer-reviewed publications and has a special interest in, among other topics, fracture management and diagnostic and therapeutic musculoskeletal ultrasound.
Anna Geurkink, PA, cared for patients at Waco Family Medicine for the past four years and is especially interested in women’s health, prenatal care, lactation care, and underserved medicine. The Geurkinks are excited to be here, along with their two children.
McKenna Heusser, primary care PA, begins duties on July 13th at our Blue Ridge Medical Center - Yancey Campus and relocated here with her husband and baby. She has provided many types of care at a variety of institutions in Virginia and Columbia, SC, including family medicine care, women’s health care, and emergency care.
We’re thrilled to have them and so happy for our BRRH honorees. All of this good news translates to even more exceptional care for our community from your Hometown Hospital.
Tonia W. Hale, DNP, MAOM, BSN, RN, is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nursing Officer of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine. Hale is a proven leader with almost 40 years of progressive healthcare experience. A native of East Tennessee, she holds an associate’s degree in nursing from Walters State Community College, a baccalaureate degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee, a master’s degree in organizational management from Tusculum University, and a doctor of nursing practice degree in executive leadership from East Tennessee State University. Ms. Hale is currently a resident of Burnsville.