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On a breezy, sun-filled morning in late March, MUSC leaders and guests gathered in the green space in the center of campus behind the Colbert Library & Education Center to celebrate special employees who have gone above and beyond in their functions in MUSC. Everyone came together in a spirit of excellence to celebrate the President’s Values ​​in Action (VIA) awards and the unveiling of a new monument and brick walkway named after him. The event recognized past and present employees, as well as future ones, who have committed to living and demonstrating MUSC’s five core values: compassion, respect, innovation, collaboration and integrity.

At the heart of the new Values ​​in Action memorial site is an 8-foot bronze sculpture, featuring building blocks stacked on top of each other and reaching skyward, symbolizing employee strengths, core culture and high performance goals.

The monument’s design was assisted by Chairman David J. Cole, MD, FACS, and the MUSC Art Committee, which included a licensed art therapist, a curator and design specialist, a member of the Lands Department, and a representative student. Together, they reviewed and selected the sculpture design from a local artist who would then create the artwork to symbolize the spirit of the Valores en Acción Awards. After reviewing more than 30 sculpture artists, the group selected Lowcountry artist Becca Barnet with Sisal Creative.

“Each year, employees are nominated by peers, leaders, co-workers and individuals for demonstrating one of our five values ​​in their daily life at work as part of the MUSC family,” Cole said at the March 30 event. . “It is important that these people are recognized and honored, and that their actions become examples to many others, like pebbles thrown into a pond and the first ripples spreading. We have created a space where employees are publicly recognized and people are reminded of MUSC’s five benchmarks or values.”

Highlights of the celebration included remarks by past VIA Award recipients such as 2022 Compassion VIA Award Winner Tenelle Jones, who is a licensed mental health clinic and counselor working with Lowcountry employees and patients in the community through the MUSC Resilience Program.

“I know I couldn’t let others know how valuable they are if MUSC hadn’t embraced compassion and resilience in our community. I am so grateful to be here to celebrate all the hard work our care team members do and to remind you that through the difficult times of COVID and staff shortages and the many changes that have affected everyone, that they matter, and I’m excited. tell everyone that,” Jones said.

Respect VIA 2019 winner Lisa Watkins, who is a Patient and Family Liaison with MUSC Health, spoke about how much the award personally means to her and her work.

“The work I do for more than 25 years at MUSC is a demonstration of my love for this institution and the pride I feel in my heart for the services we provide to patients and families in the community. Receiving this recognition was a surprise, since I perform my role out of love for our patients, institution, and pride in what MUSC represents: changing what is possible. I was elated because even though we don’t admit it, it feels good to be appreciated for the work we do. Having Dr. and Mrs. Cole and members of my care team present and giving me that recognition meant a lot to me, and I continue to treasure it today and for years to come,” Watkins said.

Soren Teich, DMD of James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine, the 2020 Integrity VIA recipient, was recognized for his commitment and spirit of collaboration during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teich worked with a team of dental medicine colleagues, both locally and nationally, to find and employ solutions for best practice ventilation, PPE use, and aerosol airflow that would provide the safest dental care environment. oral health of patients.

Accepting his VIA award, Teich remembered the special moment. “I said that while I am honored and humbled by this surprise, I accept the award on behalf of the entire team. Participating in these efforts kept our dental program running, graduated our dental students and residents, and provided a safety net for our community. Everyone at the dental school came together towards a common goal. This recognition also shows me what MUSC is all about: compassion, collaboration, innovation, respect, and integrity. Our values ​​are non-negotiable and we must cherish and manifest them on a daily basis, especially when we are facing a difficult situation like the pandemic,” he said.

Lastly, Michael Sweat, Ph.D., spoke as one of the co-recipients of the inaugural VIA Impact Award. In 2021, the Coles created a special category, the Impact Award, to complement the five Values ​​in Action awards. They do not present the Impact Award annually, rather, they award it on rare occasions to an individual or individuals based on their exceptional work, dedication, and values ​​that uniquely affect MUSC and the community at large. The Coles presented this award to Sweat and Cassandra Salgado, MD, for their work and response during the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020.

“The first few months of the pandemic were a very busy time for many of us. I got a front row seat with the leadership to witness how they handled this situation within the institution. Compassion, respect, innovation, collaboration, and integrity is what I observed from both leadership and many unsung heroes at MUSC. And all of this was happening during a time of America’s worst public health crisis since the 1918 flu epidemic. It really moved me. Today, when I look at the shelf in my office and see the Values ​​in Action plaque I was presented with, not only do I think about how wonderful it is to be recognized, but what it really means is what a great place MUSC is. along with its amazing people. Thank you. And thank you all for what you did during the COVID epidemic and all the support I received,” Sweat said.

The event concluded with Cole inviting the audience to walk the memorial site, meet VIA recipients and place bricks on the sidewalk with the names of the past 32 VIA winners while enjoying refreshments and giveaways from the event.

“These bricks commemorate the current and future winners’ names to be placed. With empty bricks, there are many opportunities for all of us to advance excellence as a company,” said Cole.

To nominate an employee or to learn more about the VIA President’s Awards, visit their website.