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MISSISSIPPI ORGAN RECOVERY AGENCY HONORS THOSE COMMITTED TO SAVING AND HEALING LIVES THROUGH ORGAN, EYE AND TISSUE DONATION
4th Annual Spero Awards held at Hilton Jackson
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Jackson, MS -The Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA) served as host for the 4th Annual Spero Awards on Thursday, July 13, 2017, at the Hilton 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. The speaker for the awards ceremony was James Wynn, MD, Division of Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
A total of 18 Spero Awards were presented to individuals and organizations from areas throughout the state, including MORA’s highest honor, the Award of Distinction, that went to Martha Fulcher of OCH Regional Hospital in Starkville. The word Spero (Spā-rō) 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 healing tissue transplant.
Additionally, 12 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.
2017 Spero Award recipients
Most Supportive Ancillary or Healthcare Staff – Leslye Bastos Ortega, University of Mississippi Medical Center
Nurse Champion of the Year- Brian Buckley, St. Dominic Hospital
Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year- Christy Barrick, University of Mississippi Medical Center SICU
Physician Champion of the Year- Dr. Edward Pellarano, Forest General Hospital
Hospital Leadership of the Year Award- Lisa Miller, North Sunflower County Medical Center
Most Supportive Tissue Hospital- Baptist Medical Center, Yazoo City
Most Supportive Organ & Tissue Hospital- Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg
Most Supportive Mortuary Services- Marshall Funeral Home, Biloxi
Most Supportive Coroner- Clayton Cobler, Lauderdale County Coroner
Community Faith Leader of the Year- Fr. Ken Ramon-Landry, Sacred Heart Church
Volunteer of the Year- Adrian Murry, donor mom, Hattiesburg
Donation Advocate of the Year- Bert Turcotte, John C. Stennis Hospital
Red Heart Award- Picayune Department of Public Safety Station
Corporate Partner of the Year- Party City, Flowood
Most Supportive Surgical Staff – Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg
Most Supportive Critical Care Staff- Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg
Storyteller Award – Billy Watkins – Clarion Ledger
Award of Distinction –Martha Fulcher-OCH Regional Medical Center
Mississippi Lions Eye Bank (MLEB) also presented the Gift of Sight Award to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson for their work in helping to facilitate sight saving corneal transplants. MLEB also awarded the Partners in Vision Award to Garden Park Hospital in Gulfport as well as Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson. This award recognizes the hospital partners who have helped to facilitate eye donations.
Hospital Excellence Awards were awarded to 12 hospitals who have achieved national organ donation performance standards set by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Hospitals receiving those awards were:
Garden Park Medical Center
Greenwood Leflore Hospital
Hancock Medical Center
Merit Health Biloxi
Merit Health Central, Jackson
Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, Jackson
North Mississippi Medical Center
Anderson Regional Medical Center
Forrest General Hospital
Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
St. Dominic Hospital, Jackson
University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson
Also recognized during the ceremony were 37 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
Magee General 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 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
If you need a specific picture of an award winner or additional information concerning awards and winners, please contact Chuck Stinson, Director of Community Services & Relations at 601.933.1000 or cstinson@msora.org.
To register as an organ, eye and tissue donor, please go to www.donatelifems.org.
Pictured left to right: Haratio Keys, BSN, RN, CCRN Hospital Development Coordinator for MORA and MGH Nursing Staff–Rebecca Jones, RN and Brenda Edwards, PCT
