2017 brought a renewed vigor to making the Avenue of Excellence award dinner a night to remember. All the stops were pulled out to transform the Cerro Coso College campus into a magnificent wonderland with sheer canopies and floral decorations that made you feel you were in a secret garden.
A new set of awardees were also on hand to graciously accept their awards and fun was had by all. Amazing silent auction gifts were available for bidding and delicious food and drink capped off an amazing night of recognizing excellence.
This year saw the Physician of the Year award go to Dr. Jeanine Arndal for her role in developing the outstanding NIHD Women’s Health Clinic that is helping so many in the region.
The Daisy Award winning Nurse of the Year went to Cynthia Dayhuff for “her calm and compassionate care” she provides to her patients. She was nominated not only “as a talented nurse, but for her genuinely loving and true spirit.”
Finally, the Employee of the Year award went to Francine Berube who is an exceptional certified nursing assistant that daily goes above and beyond in her duties. Her manager remarks that Francine “is responsive and gentle in her awareness of the issues presented and thoughtful, never overreaching. She asks forward reaching questions so as to know what was needed and then accomplishing the task quietly and rapidly and with calmness.”
2017 brought new and exciting programs to fund for the District and one that rose to the top was digital imaging equipment for our Pathologist, Dr. Eva Wasef. This equipment will allow Dr. Wasef to present findings and discuss treatment options with specialists from outside the area. This is truly a remarkable achievement for a rural Hospital District and builds on the investments made the previous year for telemedicine services at Northern Inyo Healthcare District.