Since 2004, Atrium Health has received thousands of nominations and recognized over 200 teammates with the Pinnacle Award – the highest honor a teammate can receive at Atrium Health for making an extraordinary impact on our teammates, patients and the communities we serve.
Pinnacle Award nominations take place across the Southeast Region including Atrium Health Greater Charlotte, Atrium Health Navicent, Atrium Health Floyd, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Wake Forest University School of Medicine and our regional partners – to recognize, reward and honor teammates who best exemplify Our Culture Commitments:
We create a space where all Belong
We Work as One Team to make great things happen
We earn Trust in all we do
We Innovate to better the now and create the future
We drive for Excellence – always
From more than 1,000 Pinnacle nominations, 97 finalists were selected for Atrium Health’s most prestigious award. Congratulations to our extraordinary teammates and leaders who are living our Culture Commitments in a major way.
The 2022 Pinnacle Award Honorees took time to explain what each culture commitment means to them. Check out each video below to learn more about why they are inspired to make a difference in the lives of teammates and the communities we serve:
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Honorees featured:
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Honorees featured:
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Honorees featured:
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Honorees featured:
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Honorees featured:
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The 2022 Pinnacle Award recognizes teammates who best exemplify our Culture Commitments. Below are this year's Pinnacle Award Honorees:
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Connie Baggarley “Kindhearted,” “service-oriented” and “dedicated” are all words used to describe Connie. She is a Pharmacy Accounts Auditor at Atrium Health Navicent. Teammates say she routinely goes above and beyond her expected duties to assist other departments with billing, coding, or reimbursement issues, requests and questions. Connie’s positive attitude and strong work ethic are infectious. She inspires teamamtes to work as hard as she does and be a source of encouragement for others. “What an impactful teammate she is to our organization by seeking to honor our culture commitments daily.” |
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| Kentavis “Tavis” Barnes Team Leader, Patient Transport Atrium Health Navicent Kentavis “Tavis” has been with Atrium Health Navicent for 10 years. He is known for his positive attitude and willingness to help anyone in need. Tavis’ primary responsibility is to manage the assignment of transport requests to transporters, but when there is an influx of transport requests, he does not hesitate to step in and transport patients himself. He also helps guide new transporters who may need help or are not confident in a process. “He keeps our patients safe by his upmost attention to detail. He will never leave the unit without receiving a handoff from the nurse and ensuring that the bed/stretcher, oxygen, etc., are all in working order.” |
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| Karen Blinson Clinical Research, Cardiology Wake Forest University School of Medicine Karen has been with Atrium Health for more than 35 years. As a manager of the cardiovascular research team, Karen recognizes the strengths of each teammate and provides nurturing support to help each individual team member thrive. Under Karen’s leadership, her team consistently places in the top recruiting/enrollment ranks in the nation – even during the pandemic. Her teammates say she leads by example in all areas and is never afraid to jump in and do the job of those she leads. Karen is always available to her team and always committed to the role of Cardiovascular Manager. |
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| Sidonne Brown Assistant Vice President, Nursing Carolinas Medical Center Sidonne is an exceptional, transformational nurse leader who sincerely cares for everyone and drives evidence-based changes that advance the nursing profession, while improving the outcomes of patients and the work environment. Teammates say she “reflects the pinnacle of nursing in all that she does.” Sidonne lives by the core values of Atrium Health and works to make sure Atrium Health is a national leader for health, learning, and community. She creates a space where everyone belongs, serving as an essential member of the Atrium Health Diversity and Inclusion Council. Sidonne also helped create the central market’s first and only Nurse Diversity and Inclusion Sub-Council to ensure nurses are educated, trained, and empowered to meet the diverse needs of the patient population and community. |
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| Ana Burne Nurse Aide, Resource Team Atrium Health Greater Charlotte “Compassionate,” “hardworking” and “selfless” are all words teammates used to describe Ana. They say she always puts her patients first and is often recognized by unit leaders for going above and beyond. Many have been inspired by the way she cares for and interacts with patients. One teammate recalled an impactful moment they witnessed: “Ana was sitting with a pediatric psych patient. She was a one-to-one sitter for this little guy, who appeared to be only eight to 10 years old. It was easy to see that he was very scared and anxious. Ana sensed that he was scared and without skipping a beat, she went in, gave him a giant hug and spoke with him. He was instantly put at ease. It was a special moment to witness. Often, we can be so busy and caught up with our tasks, that we forget the power of human touch and interactions. Ana had earned this boy’s trust, just as she earns the trust of all her patients.” |
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| Chelsea Cain Primary Care, Operations Community Health Chelsea leads the clinical strategy arm of Community Health, serving as our full-time nurse practitioner. Over the last year she has been instrumental in serving the most vulnerable community members and bridging the equity divide in launching the transition of mobile units from COVID response to primary care. Teammates say the outcomes of Chelsea’s leadership are unmatched. To date, the mobile units that focused on COVID response in underserved communities have tested close to 80,000 community members and provided almost 32,000 vaccines, serving mostly people of color. With passion that is described as contagious, teammates say Chelsea leads by example and “makes the impossible feel attainable and that we can accomplish extraordinary things together.” |
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| Amanda Dawkins Registered Nurse, Levine Children’s Hospital Carolinas Medical Center Amanda “Mandy” Dawkins is Clinical Supervisor for two of our Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital teams: the Vascular Access Team (VAT) and Lactation Services. Mandy helped initiate the VAT team in January 2020. Not only has Mandy grown and developed the team, she has committed to ensuring that they are operating at a high standard and meeting the national benchmarks of a VAT team. Usually, a success rate for a VAT nurse is nationally ranked around 80%. Mandy’s teammates average 84% success for their insertions.Teammates say Mandy goes above and beyond to make sure her team functions smoothly. Her role encompasses so much including being a teacher, mentor, motivator, and organizer. “Don’t know what we’d do without her! Mandy is the heart of our team!” |
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| Patsy Fisher Ambulatory Services, Virtual Care School Based Telemedicine Patsy is the Ambulatory Manager for our Atrium Health Levine Children’s Community Based Virtual Care program. She is responsible for onboarding and implementing new community sites, managing telepresenter teammates and overseeing existing community-based sites. Leaders say Patsy’s “can-do spirit and passion to think outside the box” is the reason this program continues to grow and excel.” For example, Atrium Health School and Community Based Virtual Care now can invite a parent to virtually join an enhanced school-based video visit. Patsy has worked through different obstacles and challenges with IAS and technology to make this happen. Teammates say Patsy embodies the culture commitments and serves as a beacon of light to inspire them all to be better healthcare professionals, caregivers, and people. |
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| Meridith Gombar Registered Clinical Nurse, Staff Clinical Supplement Atrium Health Mercy Meridith has been with Atrium Health for 16 years, working her way up through the organization from healthcare technician to her current position of Clinical Nurse Leader Program Coordinator at Atrium Health Mercy. Meridith was instrumental in the PATH Team at Atrium Health Main, which focused on high acuity traumatic brain injury patients as well as high level spinal cord injury patients. During her time with the PATH team, Meridith was able to provide care for innumerable trauma patients and was successful in getting three patients back to their home countries (with appropriate medical care) where their families could care for them. This decreased the length of stay for this population by over 50%. Teammates say the culture commitment that Meridith consistently displays is “We drive for Excellence – always.” |
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| Peggy Harris Regional Chief Diversity Officer Atrium Health Greater Charlotte Peggy has been a consistent contributor to Atrium Health as a champion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and an overall mentor to many. In her current role as Regional Chief Diversity Officer, she works tirelessly to ensure there is fair representation in the system for teammates, suppliers and leadership. Peggy’s career path with Atrium Health, starting as a nurse and then becoming an administrative leader in the DEI space, has allowed her to deeply impact patients, teammates and the communities we serve. She has been a consistent advocate for people within the system and the communities we serve who have not always had a voice. Each year, she organizes the enterprise-wide FOR ALL Conference which is geared toward raising the awareness and providing calls to action to teammates at every level of Atrium Health to look beyond themselves and consider the needs of the marginalized. Peggy also leads the charge with System Resource Groups, providing the advocacy, leadership and guidance to enable these groups to serve their missions, which are ultimately to support teammates in their growth and wellbeing. Teammates say Peggy’s example is an inspiration to others to lead by example. “She has positively impacted every individual who has crossed her path.” |
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| Debra Martin Clinical Coordinator, Physical Therapy Atrium Health Cabarrus Debra serves as the Clinical Coordinator of the Acute Care Rehab at Atrium Health Cabarrus. Teammates say she is truly an exceptional person who goes above and beyond for her department. They say she is an exemplary leader and addresses all questions and concerns with patience, empathy, and willingness to provide a solution that is best for everyone. Debra always makes her team feel appreciated and often sends eCards or handwritten thank you notes in the mail, letting her teammates know they are valued and appreciated. She is also supportive of individual teammates’ career goals and professional special interests. Debra often says she loves what she does but she loves it even more when she is working with patients. It is a common saying that “people don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses,” but teammates who work with Debra say she proves the exact opposite of that phrase is also true. |
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| Christopher Moree Maintenance Mechanic, Plant Operations Atrium Health Anson Chris is an experienced Maintenance Mechanic who transferred to Atrium Health Anson at the beginning of the year. Chris quickly learned about the hospital’s physical plant, preventive maintenance program, code and regulatory requirements and completed several special projects. He is very professional and calm and has gained trust and respect from leaders and teammates. A few months ago, Atrium Health Anson had a young patient who was in the hospital for an extended period of time waiting for placement in a group home. Chris served as a mentor to this patient. He allowed the young man to observe some of the tasks he performed around the hospital and be his “helper.” He also taught him about being polite, kind, respectful, responsible, and how to appropriately manage feelings of frustration and anger. Chris was a friend to this patient, something he really needed. Teammates say the young man left Atrium Health Anson better prepared for a successful transition to the group home because of the tremendous impact Chris had on him. “We are thankful that Chris shows care and compassion for our teammates and patients. He truly lives the values of Atrium Health!” |
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| Jennifer Newsome Technical Lead, IAS Oncology Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Jennifer is the Technical Lead for Oncology and Clinical Research Applications at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. Jennifer is the only ITS analyst supporting clinical research at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. She alone provides WakeOne support for all investigators. Jennifer epitomizes value-centered servant-leadership. Shortly after Atrium Health partnered with Wake Forest Baptist, Jennifer volunteered to divide her time equally between the entities. Half of her time is devoted to growing Atrium Health’s Epic instance (Encompass), and the other half is dedicated to maintaining legacy Wake’s Epic instance (WakeOne). The Oncology and Clinical Research Team at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist say they could not exceed customer expectations without Jennifer. “She is the foundation of our team and a cornerstone of all the other clinical application teams.” |
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| Dr. Chad Scarboro Director, Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital ED Medical Carolinas Medical Center Dr. Scarboro is a trusted teammate who consistently strives to provide compassionate, safe, exceptional care for our vulnerable population and their families. Outside of providing patient care, Dr. Scarboro constantly advocates for his team in his role as medical director. He frequently comes up with new, innovative ways his team can optimize their space and staff to safely see more patients and provide family-centered care. Dr. Scarboro is not one to look for praise but would rather do things behind the scenes for his team. Teammates say Dr. Scarboro drives for excellence in all that he does. From department operations to trauma care to working alongside his team to making them feel like family and improving the care delivery for children, he is always demonstrating excellence. “Our department is a better place because he is a part of it, and our staff is truly blessed to have such a wonderful doctor and person on our team.” |
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| Constance Simmons Supervisor, Guest Services Carolinas Medical Center “Excellence is never an accident! It is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities.” Constance embodies every aspect of this quote. She demonstrates and exhibits all attributes of Atrium Health’s mission and vision. She has shown commitment to sound principal leadership and shown consistency amongst principles, values and behaviors in leading the Guest Services team at Kenilworth. Prior to becoming an official part of the Atrium Health family, Constance worked as a valet attendant with a vendor contract on the CMC campus. Constance takes charge in the most challenging situations. No matter what the situation, she is always poised and up for the challenge. She is a woman who is constantly raising the bar for her and her team, while also celebrating everyday ‘wins’ to create a culture of enthusiasm and encouragement. Constance approaches her work with the same level of reverence that she would approach her own family. She treats everyone with a tenderness only a mother knows how to deliver. |
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| Cheryl Snellgrove Manager, Skilled Nursing Facility Administration Continuing Care Services Administration Ask any skilled nursing facility (SNF) teammates what Cheryl means to them as well as the hundreds of residents that are cared for and you will receive immediate, thoughtful expressions of deep appreciation. For more than 20+ years, Cheryl has embodied the cultural commitments to the highest level. A healthcare professional who understands the value of meeting every person where they are, Cheryl offers valuable gifts. With a background in Human Resources and a Masters in Divinity, Cheryl easily connects with everyone on a personal as well as spiritual level. Daily she “talks the talk and walks the walk,” while demonstrating servant leadership in her role supporting five SNFs across a broad geographic region. Authentic teammate recognition and appreciation are hardwired throughout Cheryl's efforts. She assisted in the recent NC Direct Care Worker payout for 120+ teammates across five SNFs. A system-recognized Compassion Champion, she provides events to boost morale, improve resiliency, decrease burnout, and compassion fatigue. Certified as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion graduate, she teaches about the importance of Culture Change specific to rural SNFs. “Because of her, we are a stronger, kinder, and better team.” |
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| Allen Stephens Assistant Director, Infusion Center Atrium Health Floyd Allen is the Assistant Director of Oncology Services and Outcome Coordination. He leads the outpatient infusion center at Atrium Health Floyd Main Campus and oversees the Cancer Program assuring requirements are met for the Comprehensive Community Cancer Program Accreditation with the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. Creating a space where all belong is imperative to his personal mission of meeting the needs of everyone that he encounters no matter what walk of life they live or what situations they may be enduring. This is evident in the connection he makes with all his patients and the staff that he meets even just once. Allen also goes above and beyond during the holidays and serves as Santa Clause for the NICU and for the staff to bring their children to a safe place to visit with Santa for pictures at no charge to anyone. “He truly embodies each of our Culture Commitments in the work that he performs.” |
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| Taneika Torres Registered Nurse, Sexual Assault Treatment Center Carolinas Medical Center Taneika is the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) for the Metro Atrium SANE team that serves 10 facilities across Atrium Health Greater Charlotte. Teammates say Taneika truly makes a difference in the lives of sexual assault patients and is passionate about the work. She has completed more 1,000 sexual assault examinations and evidence kit collections since working with the SANE team in 2010. To make sure patients are comforted, Taneika creates purses/bags filled with cosmetics and toiletries for sexual assault patients. Her goal is to make sure they feel clean and refreshed after their examination. Taneika is also a valuable asset to our surrounding communities. She communicates with law enforcement and advocates to ensure wrap around services for victims of sexual assault. She is also a member of the community Sexual Assault Response Team and Outcomes/Evaluation sub-committee for Mecklenburg County. Her input on the process to improve victim services is valuable. As a member of the Mecklenburg County Strangulation Task Force, she helped create the Non-Fatal Strangulation protocol, which is used today. Taneika is extremely passionate about her works as a SANE nurse and she always says, “When you find a job you are passionate about and love what you do, then it’s not really a job.” |
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| Patsy Wade Bereavement Coordinator, Hospice Home Care Atrium Health Floyd As a bereavement coordinator for Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Heyman Hospice, Patsy brings a sense of calm and peace to all that she encounters. She is perfect in her role at hospice. She is a light to lost and grieving families. She knows what people need and never hesitates to help. Patsy embodies and embraces each Culture Commitment in her everyday actions during business hours and after hours. The pandemic changed the way Patsy was able to deliver care and therapeutic services to recently bereaved families. She quickly accommodated and began calling the patient’s family and the community referrals on their timelines to assist with grief. Some of Patsy’s teammates call her a local hero. Not only does her Floyd family know of her special gifts and talents but her name travels throughout the communities she serves. |
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| Anja Workman Director, Marketing Continuing Care Services Administration Anja has been with Atrium Health for more than 11 years, filling multiple roles during that time: Director of Senior Adult Services, Regional Director, Director of Business Development, and currently Director of Business Development and Marketing for the Continuing Care Division. In this role, she is an artist. She creates handbooks, videos, ads, promotional materials, patient education, articles, grant applications and much more. Anja loves Pinnacle Award season because it gives her a chance to lift someone else up and help others be inspired by the selfless work other teammates are doing. This time, she gets to inspire teammates with her own story. Anja has been a long-time champion of the Pinnacle Award and has spent countless hours writing and rewriting nominations. Her co-workers even look to her for guidance in writing nominations. Joe Forquer, Director of Enterprise Teammate Recognition, says Anja is his biggest supporter of the Pinnacle Award program. “She is such a cheerleader in helping promote all the good things we do here at Atrium Health. I am so proud to know her and thank her for all she does.” |
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