Celebrating Compassionate Care

Beaufort Memorial honors employees with ‘Bemmy’ Awards

phots by CHARLOTTE BERKELEY

As part of the annual Beaufort Memorial celebration of National Hospital Week, the health system held its fifth “Bemmy” Awards at Tabby Place in downtown Beaufort to celebrate the caregivers, leaders and staff whose compassion and dedication shapes healthcare in the Lowcountry.

The awards ceremony honors the Beaufort Memorial employees making an impact on their community, whether they’re clinical or non-clinical, leaders, rookies or volunteers.

“This is my favorite night of the year,” said Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley. “It takes a special kind of person to be committed to working in healthcare, and I’m proud to say that I’m a friend, a colleague and a partner in what we do and how we serve our community.”

Among the evening’s highest honors, Beaufort Memorial Express Care and Occupational Health was awarded the Bemmy for Department of the Year for delivering urgent care, occupational health and employee health services with teamwork, adaptability and compassion.

That department’s excellence was further highlighted when Carri Knapp, MSN, APRN, FNP-C was honored with Advanced Practice Provider of the Year for her positivity and patient-first approach to care.

The Beaufort Memorial Emergency Department also came away with high honors – Dr. Luke Baxley was named Physician of the Year for his leadership in the ER and mentorship of future physicians through the department’s residency program. ER nurse Ashley Bentley, RN, earned the Vaux Award for Clinical Employee of the Year for her calm, kind presence – even during the most stressful moments.

Other Bemmys celebrated innovation, leadership and volunteer service across Beaufort Memorial, including Mandy Michels, Director of Patient Experience, as Leader of the Year, Bruce “Tripp” Yeager as Innovator of the Year and volunteer Garry Elrod for his dedication to both patients and staff.