The Frist Humanitarian Award, named in honor of HCA Healthcare co-founder, Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Sr. (1910 - 1998), was created in 1971. The award honors individuals within HCA Healthcare who demonstrate a level of commitment and caring that goes beyond everyday acts of kindness, and who inspire colleagues with their compassion and dedication. In 2018, HCA Healthcare colleagues collectively volunteered more than 156,000 hours in their communities - a value of more than $3.8 million. The recipients of this award are stellar examples of that volunteer spirit. Their generosity and community service epitomize the humanitarian principles established by HCA Healthcare's founders.
The Frist Humanitarian Award includes a $5,000 donation to the charity of the recipient's choice and a $5,000 gift for the employee and volunteer recipients. The physician recipient receives a $10,000 donation to the charity of the physician's choice.
Recipients of the 47th annual Frist Humanitarian Award are: Jan Woolley, RN, a nurse at St. Mark's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah; J. Ryland Scott, MD, FACS, a physician at Redmond Regional Medical Center in Rome, Georgia; and Charla E. Summers, a volunteer at Eastside Medical Center in Snellville, Georgia.
"The recipients of the Frist Humanitarian Award are selfless individuals whose commitment to care extends far beyond our hospital walls," Hazen said. "Through philanthropy and volunteerism, these individuals are living out the vision of our organization's founders. They have dedicated their lives to serving in their own communities and around the world in hopes of giving people a healthier tomorrow."
Jan Woolley, RN, has been with St. Mark's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah for more than 23 years, and she currently serves in the hospital's pain clinic and senior center. Woolley's life changed nine years ago when her late husband was diagnosed with cancer and they decided to travel at least once a month. Those trips took them around the world and soon became humanitarian missions, which she continues today, through which Woolley provides care as well as medical supplies and technology to low resource communities in foreign countries.
Ryland Scott, MD, FACS, is a general surgery and advanced laparoscopy physician who has worked at Redmond Regional Medical Center in Rome, Georgia for 16 years. He led the development of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) for colorectal surgeries in 2014, which resulted in reduced length of stay and improved recovery times for patients. After learning that his home county in the state of Georgia had a high number of children in need of foster homes, Dr. Scott and his family decided to help. In addition to raising their biological triplets, the Scotts have fostered eight children. He is also involved in youth ministry and, along with his wife, was a founding chair of the Young Life program, a faith-based camp for teenagers, in Rome, Georgia.
Charla E. Summers, a retired middle and high school language arts teacher and counselor of 38 years, has volunteered at Eastside Medical Center in Snellville, Georgia for seven years. She has been an integral part of numerous programs and committees at the hospital, including serving as the VolunTeen program coordinator and new hire tour coordinator, among others. A survivor of domestic abuse, Summers' personal experience drives her passion for helping others. In addition to her volunteer work at the hospital, she was inspired to serve at a crisis intervention center as a hotline operator and lead support groups for children of abusive parents and individuals struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.
