Hospital Association honors ‘heroes’

The Hospital Association of Rhode Island recently honored hospital employees from across the state as well as champions of health care causes as part of its “Celebration of Excellence in Hospital Care,” an annual awards ceremony.
Ruth Waldman, past associate dean of the University of Rhode Island College of Nursing and former South County Hospital board member, was posthumously presented with the Benjamin R. Sturges Distinguished Service Award.
Waldman, who began her URI career in 1974, was instrumental in developing programs that addressed cultural diversity and allowed nurses to see the influence they could have on the health care needs of other cultures. She was also known as a strong leader and mentor.
Edward and Ted Almon received the HARI Award for Public Service for their “extraordinary achievement in serving the people of Rhode Island.” Both father and son – the latter is CEO of The Claflin Co. – have long been active in the health care community, working to improve quality, efficiency and access to care.
Edward Almon has served two terms on the R.I. Health Services Council and served on the board of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island for 18 years.
Ted Almon has been a leader at the grassroots level and has also been active in major initiatives, including a group called HealthRIght that is working to draft a comprehensive health care reform bill for the state. He has also served on several health care task forces, study groups and panels on both the state and national level.
The hospital employees who were honored are: Britt Harrington, clinical coordinator of the pharmacy, Landmark Medical Center; Marcia Carr-Carvalho, a registered nurse at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island; Angela Creta, a registered nurse at The Miriam Hospital; Steve Reid, a certified nursing assistant at Newport Hospital; Linda Resnik, a research health scientist at the Providence VA Medical Center; Christine McAniff, a clinical specialist in physical therapy at Rhode Island Hospital; Theresa Pennacchia, transfer coordinator at Roger Williams Medical Center; Christine Zydlewski, a food service worker at South County Hospital; Darrick Tow, a physical therapy assistant at St. Joseph Health Services of Rhode Island; and Patricia Cote, physical therapy supervisor at The Westerly Hospital.