CRMC honors nurse, social worker

May 14, 2009 10:06 pm

— MOULTRIE — A veteran nurse in Colquitt Regional’s radiology/cardiology department was selected as the hospital’s 2009 Nurse of the Year and a social worker with home care and hospice services was named this year’s G.R.E.A.T. Ambassador during National Hospital Week ceremonies this week.
Kathy Bennett, RN, who has worked at Colquitt Regional for 28 years, was selected as Nurse of the Year by an independent group of judges who have medical backgrounds but are not currently associated with CRMC.
Mamie Rentz, who has worked as a social worker for Colquitt Regional Home Care and Hospice since 2002, was named the hospital’s G.R.E.A.T. Ambassador. Rentz was selected on the basis of an essay she wrote explaining why she enjoys working in healthcare.
Bennett was one of five finalists for Nurse of the Year. The other finalists include Kim Brinson, RN, Scott Price, RN, Karen Newberry, RN and Dimitra Norman, RN. The Nurse of the Year award was presented by Tammy Horne, RN, who was last year’s Nurse of the Year.
“She has great compassion for her patients and goes above and beyond to meet the needs of the patient and to provide them with excellent care,” Bennett’s nomination letter stated. “She puts her whole heart and soul into providing her patients with the best care she can provide as well as helping her fellow employees provide the best care for their patients.”
Rentz’ essay traced her journey to healthcare beginning with her late husband’s battle with cancer to her work as a social worker with the Department of Human Resources and finally as an employee with Colquitt Regional Home Healthcare and Hospice.
“Great satisfaction comes from working with so many interesting patients and helping to meet their needs,” she wrote. “Healthcare workers are a special breed and work together as a team.”
The G.R.E.A.T Ambassador program was created by the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) to celebrate and showcase the commitment and caring that hospital employees bring to their jobs, community and the state’s healthcare industry. The G.R.E.A.T Ambassador program, which stands for “Giving Recognition for Excellence, Advocacy and Teamwork,” provides hospital employees the opportunity to tell their personal stories about working for the hospital. Each candidate submitted their story in writing to be judged. Rentz will compete with other G.R.E.A.T Ambassadors from around the state for the state title.