"We are fortunate to work beside such caring and giving individuals as Mr. Leath, Dr. Sutton, and Ms. Watts," said Heather Rohan, president and CEO, TriStar Centennial. "They are each actively engaged in the care of our patients and reach out to help those less fortunate in our community as well. Their exemplary work and compassion serves as an inspiration to all of us."
Our 2012 Volunteer Award recipient, Jim Leath, has been volunteering on campus to work with pre- and post-heart surgery patients for more than 11 years, a role he embraced after becoming a heart survivor himself in 2001. In fact, he is a founding member of The Red Hat Society, a volunteer group of heart survivors who spends time with heart patients both before and after heart care.
Jim has been a long-time volunteer for several programs sponsored by St. Philips Episcopal Church which includes their Second Harvest Food Bank program, transportation of older parish members, and a homeless shelter program.
He has also been active in the Special Olympics for twenty years, serving as state director of the Bocce venue in the Nashville Summer Games; he volunteers during the annual state basketball tournament in Nashville and assists new classes of "senior" level adults through the Donelson/Hermitage Leadership M3 level, processing community outreach projects and managing alumni communications.
Lynne Watts is our Employee Award recipient. Lynne serves as the administrative assistant for Centennial's Imaging department. As part of her daily responsibilities in addition to facilitating department leadership schedules, she rotates taking calls for the patient advocacy line.
Described as a dedicated, humble and caring individual by her peers, Lynne is said to always place the needs of others before her own.
She spearheaded the annual Salvation Army Angels campaign that has supported more than 600 children across Middle Tennessee. With the Angel Tree drive, Lynne garnered hospital support to adopt 120 Angels for the 2012 holiday season.
Having lost her son in 2012, Lynne has dedicated all of her efforts in leading the Angel Tree campaign to him.
Hyatt Sutton, M.D. is our Physician Awards recipient. An internist with the Frist Clinic at TriStar Centennial, Hyatt is described as a dedicated, compassionate physician.
Hyatt serves as the Chair, Medical Ethics Committee for TriStar Centennial where he is involved in planning for and discussing end-of-life care decisions for medical patients in all stages of life.
For the past five years, Hyatt has been intimately involved with Neverthirst, a Christian-based organization that provides clean and living water to the poorest communities around the world, through which he has personally traveled to and supported the mission in India, South Sudan, and Central African Republic.
He funds his own contributions to these communities by fostering relationships with area physicians, which include securing and shipping needed medications.
"These recipients are an inspiration to all our employees and volunteers," said Richard M. Bracken., HCA CEO. "Their generosity and dedication serve as a living example of HCA's commitment to the care and improvement of human life."
Photo caption (pictured left to right): Hyatt Sutton, M.D., Karen ‘Lynne’ Watts, Heather Rohan, and Jim Leath pose for a photo after TriStar Centennial Medical Center’s 2012 Frist Humanitarian Award ceremony on March 7, 2013.