The Quality of Life Annual Board of Director’s Banquet was held at Gadsden’s Convention Hall on June 27. The theme of the banquet was “A New Wave with Quality.” A beach themed-event, the hall was decorated with shades of blue. The event was organized by Rhonda Lipscomb, Jonathan Smith, Claudia Johnson, Debra Foster, Dr. Katharine Culp, Jonathan Smith and Emily Nabors, with technical assistance from Jamey Moore, Aaron Goodwin, Richey Buchanan and Winston Scott. A Highlight of the evening included the presentation of the Annual Report produced by the J & M Production in Gadsden. The video entitled “A New Wave with Quality” detailed the efforts of the company in establishing innovative practices to improve patient care at the 21 locations operated by Quality of Life Health Services. The CEO’s Annual Report applauded the dedicated staff and outlined the needed innovations for the future: technology, customer services and accountability. The video presentation also contained patient testimonials thanking the QOLHS staff. Amelia Wofford, Planning & Development Officer, presented a “Review in Review” report which detailed the medical, dental, behavioral health and optometry visits provided during the past year, which totaled 125,143. The organization’s board members were all on hand for the event: President Noble Cylar; Vice-President Tarva Vaughn; Secretary Patricia DeRamus; Treasurer Jean Ward; Assistant Treasurer, Robert Turk; and members: Etowah County Probate Judge Bobby Junkins, Dante Whittaker Sr. and Chris Reynolds.
During the evening’s event, Wayne Rowe, CEO, described the growth of the organization, which consists of a network on twenty-one health centers in a service area consisting of eighteen counties. Three new sites opened during the last year: Tuskegee Quality Health Care, Clay Quality Health Care and Calhoun Quality Health Care. All of our centers are connected through an elaborate communications network, and Mr. Rowe stated that a new telecommunications network will be set up this year in order to accommodate telemedicine. Following the annual address, Mr. Rowe and board president, Noble Cylar, recognized sponsors of the event: Regions Bank, 4 BG Diversified, Telequality Communications, City of Gadsden, C & E Mitchell Accounting, Munroe Jenkins Architects, Maynard Cooper & Gale, P.C., TSI Total Security, Mack Butler – State Representative District 30, Central Alabama X-ray, Gadsden Fire Extinguisher, Webb Concrete, Ronnie Watkins Ford, Jamey Moore (J & M Productions), Legal Shield, W & R Lawn Service, Bio-equipment Services, Rushing Springs District Missionary Association and Macedonia Baptist Church.
Mr. Rowe recognized community leaders and business leaders who had provided special funding to QOLHS during the past year. Mayor Guyton from the City of Gadsden was recognized for assisting in coordinating the donation of the Martin Luther King, Jr. facility to Quality of Life and for contributing matching funds to the School-Based Health Center construction project. Representative Craig Ford and Mack Butler also contributed to the School-Based project during the past year. Mr. Rowe recognized Clay Hicks from Wells Fargo for assisting QOLHS is obtaining $ 10,000 from the Wells Fargo Foundation to use for equipment purchases at the new School-based health center site. 4BG, a company in Anniston was recognized for the assistance with the company has provided to QOLHS over the past twenty years. The Henry Schein Company, a national medical and dental supply and equipment company was honored for providing QOLHS with $ 5,000 in grant funds and $ 5,000 in free supplies to organize a community health event in Gadsden in the coming months.
Awards were presented to the staff with five years of service: Georgia Allen, Kim Strickland, Dr. Nina Robinson, Patricia Smith, Brandy Rowe, Raymond Doty, Victoria Minter, Margie McGinnis, Crystal Swindall, Emily Nabors, Geraldine Beason, Pamela Jackson, Chris Williams, Rachel Hill, Amy Vickers, Dr. Dolores Victoria, Tracy Wade, Stacey Tate, Susan McClurg, Bonnie Yerta, Amethyst Storey and Jessica Samples.
Recognized for ten years of service were: Dr. Katharine Culp, Phillip Rogers,
LaTosha Adkins, Kim McGowan and Leslie Willis.
Mr. Rowe recognized Derrick Austin for the dedication that he has shown over his career with QOLHS as the Pharmacy Director over a twenty-two year period. Amelia Wofford, Planning & Development Officer, who has performed grant writing duties for the organization for the past 28 years was also awarded an achievement award. Mr. Rowe stated that during Ms. Wofford’s tenure with the company that her total of grant dollars awarded was close to $ 200 million dollars. Rhonda Terrell, Operations Officer, who has worked with the company for twenty-six years was recognized for her achievements in the implementation of the new Tuskegee project. Danny McCord, Winston Scott and Aaron Goodwin were recognized for their contributions to working on management of QOLHS’s telecommunications network.
Special Recognition was given to the outstanding employees who are a great help to others and dedication to their job and the overall success of QOLHS. Winners of the Helping Hands Awards for 2013 were: Tiffany Hawkins, Crystal Swindell, Jonathan Smith, Linda Johnson, Danny McCord, Dennis Wright, Janet Phillips, Allison Reed, Mattie Lindsey, Sarah Templeton, Jennifer Hill and Dr. Michael J. Robinson.
Each year Mr. Rowe and the Executive Staff select a mid-level provider of the year, and this year Holly Mays, a nurse practitioner in the Pediatrics Department at the QOL Health Complex was the winner because she has shown great dedication to the job and a great sense of team work. Likewise, the medical provider that shows unusual dedication and commitment to the job of treating patients is selected as the “Physician of the Year.” The winner this year was Dr. Larry Scarborough, the physician at Cherokee Quality Health Care. The “Dentist of the Year” was awarded to Dr. Brittney Reeves, who works with the dental department at the Dekalb Quality Health Care. Latosha Adkins was recognized as the Dental Hygienist of the year. In the final award of the evening, Mr. Rowe presented the Jeanette Day Brown Award to Shaftel Benson.