ASHES Award Winners Announced at Conference

The American Society for Healthhcare Environmental Services (ASHES) announces that Robert Hodnik has been named the winner of the 2006 Phoenix Award.  This award recognizes an individual who has made a lasting impact through outstanding contributions to the growth and professionalism of ASHES and to the field of healthcare environmental services and textile care services.

Hodnick has been an ASHES member for nine years and has worked in the environmental services or textile care field for 27 years. Hodnik has previously served on the Publications Committee, Performance Indicators Committee, and the National Environmental Services Performance Indicators Development Task Force. Hodnick has a passion for environmental services and a clear vision for what the profession needs to be and has taken the necessary steps to share his knowledge and expertise to make this vision a reality.

ASHES recognizes excellence in healthcare environmental services with a variety of awards and honors to local chapters as well as to individuals. Other award winners announced at the annual awards banquet include:

-  J. Owen Flynn Memorial Award: Tremain Lewis, director of environmental services at HCA Healthcare in Thousand Oaks, Calif.  This award is presented to one who, without compensation or personal gain, performed a service or services to the benefit of their hospital, community, state or country.

-  James Wolffbrandt Award: Gilbert Crowel, chief of environmental services in Moncrief Army Community Hospital in Fort Jackson, S.C. The criteria for the award winner include actively mentoring, educating and guiding environmental services or textile care professionals.

-  Environmental Stewardship Award: Lavonda D. Evans, CHESP, chief of  environmental management service at Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock, Ark.   The Environmental Stewardship Award is presented to an individual who has worked to preserve the environment through waste reduction, pollution prevention and/or mercury elimination.

-  Innovator Award: David A. Roberson, MS, JD, CHESP, vice president at Sodexho Healthcare Services in Brentwood, Tenn. The Innovator Award is bestowed upon an individual who has developed and implemented innovative programs to achieve one or more of the following: cost reduction, quality improvement, enhanced and improved efficiencies and/or devised an innovative new and better way of doing things.

-  Recognition Award:  Kent L. Miller, CHESP, CLLM, director of environmental services at MercyMedicalCenter in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This award acknowledges a member who has developed and implemented successful employee recognition programs having a positive motivational impact and resulting in changes of staff behavior.

-  Lifetime Achievement Award:  James P. Connors, CHESP, director of environmental/textile services at Rhode IslandHospital in Providence, R.I.  This award was presented to Connors for a lifetime of service and dedication to the health care environmental services profession and tireless leadership in support of ASHES.

-  Excellence in Communication Award:  South Carolina Society for Healthcare Environmental Services. The Excellence in Communication Award recognizes individual affiliated societies who have excelled in their efforts to communicate with individual members, the community at large, the national ASHES organization and other affiliated societies.

-  The Excellence in Education Award:  New England Society for Healthcare Environmental Services. The Excellence in Education Award recognizes affiliated societies who have made a commitment to providing educational and management growth opportunities to health care environmental services professionals, through the design and implementation of innovative member programs, seminars, and/or vendor shows that go beyond a standard session and address timely topics. 

-  The Networking for Professionalism Award: Greater Midwest Society for Healthcare Environmental Services. The Networking for Professionalism Award recognizes individual affiliated societies that have accomplished a 10 percent or greater growth in membership over the previous year. This society has also demonstrated a commitment to the value of networking and professional development by conducting a minimum of one networking or professional development activity during the previous calendar year.

Source: ASHES