Caregivers from Missouri and Wisconsin Selected as Recipients of ScionHealth’s 2024 Monarch Caring and Community Award

Pictured at the October 3 presentation of ScionHealth's 2024 Monarch Caring and Community Awards are (left to right): Vanessa Peters-Kinzy, Vice President, Clinical Operations, ScionHealth; Richard Keddington, CEO, Watertown (Wisconsin) Regional Medical Center; Patty Gedemer, Chief Nursing Officer, Watertown Regional Medical Center; 2024 Monarch Award recipient Christine Kelsey, RN, Watertown Regional Medical Center; 2024 Monarch Award recipient Chante Edwards, CNA, Kindred Hospital Northland (Kansas City, Missouri); Laura Inge, CEO, Kindred Hospital Northland; Loren Perona, Vice President, Clinical Operations and Care Coordination, ScionHealth; and Rob Jay, CEO, ScionHealth. The Monarch Awards, ScionHealth's highest honor bestowed to its exemplary caregivers, were presented during the company' annual Caregivers Summit held in Louisville, Kentucky.

LOUISVILLE, KY (October 7, 2024) – At the company’s annual Caregiver Summit on Thursday, October 3, ScionHealth announced the two recipients of its 2024 Monarch Caring and Community Award, the highest honor ScionHealth bestows upon its healthcare professionals. The annual award recognizes the company’s most exceptional caregivers working in its network of 92 community and specialty hospitals who consistently go above and beyond to deliver excellent care, elevate the patient experience, and support their colleagues and communities.

ScionHealth’s 2024 Monarch Award recipients are:

• Chante Edwards, a nursing assistant at Kindred Hospital Northland (Kansas City, Missouri), a 50-bed specialty, long-term acute care hospital; and
• Christine Kelsey, a medsurg nurse at Watertown (Wisconsin) Regional Medical Center, a 95-bed community hospital.

“Our 2024 Monarch Award recipients are exceptional caregivers, first and foremost, treating their patients with exemplary skill and compassion,” said Rob Jay, CEO of ScionHealth. “But they also inspire others and brighten the days of everyone they interact with. They lead by example and make their hospitals a better place for patients and team members alike. We are incredibly appreciative of their passion for their work and positive influence on others, and we are honored to have them on our team.”

The two recipients were selected from among more than 90 award finalists within ScionHealth, a health system with approximately 25,000 total employees nationwide. All of the hospital finalists were invited to attend the Caregiver Summit, which culminated with the announcement of the two honorees.

“The nominees for the 2024 Monarch Caring and Community Award included individuals in traditional, patient-facing roles such as nurses, pharmacists, radiologists, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, clinical liaisons, infection control, and wound care specialists,” said Dr. Dean French, Chief Medical Officer of ScionHealth. “But we also received nominations for dieticians, environmental services, plant operations, a receptionist, and even an assistant controller who goes on patient rounds. It is humbling and heartwarming to view the dedication and passion so many of our team members have for their patients, for their team members, and for their hospitals. All our nominees, especially our 2024 Monarch Award recipients, embrace their vocation of helping others.”

To learn more about ScionHealth’s Monarch Caring and Community Award, visit scionhealth.com/monarch-caring-and-community-award.