SARASOTA, Fla. (Dec. 19, 2024) – Five Sarasota Memorial Health Care System employees have been named 2024 Patient Care Honorees by the HealthCare Chaplaincy Network (HCCN), a global nonprofit organization promoting a holistic approach to healthcare that emphasizes spiritual care and compassion for those facing illness and grief. Honorees are recognized for excellence in patient care and extraordinary service that goes beyond the physical and exemplifies “Caring for the Human Spirit.”
This year’s 19 honorees come from across the United States, from California to Florida, as well as British Columbia.
SMH employees celebrated this year as 2024 Patient Care Honorees include:
- Carmella Backis – Registered Nurse
- Yulonda Greene – Director of Patient Care Services
- Luis E. Llerena. MD – Trauma Surgeon
- Alycia Williams – Registered Nurse
- John Rutkowski, MD – Palliative Care Physician
All honorees were recognized at the nonprofit’s annual Wholeness of Life Gala this past November at The Knickerbocker Hotel. A complete list of honorees can be found by clicking here.
About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Founded in 1925, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional medical center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with more than 2,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 2 million patient visits a year across its network of care. Sarasota County’s largest employer, the health system includes two full-service hospitals in Sarasota and Venice, a freestanding ER in North Port, and a comprehensive network of outpatient centers, urgent care clinics and physician practices that stretch from Manatee County to North Port. As the region's only public health system and not-for-profit health care provider, SMH serves as a critical safety net for the uninsured in Sarasota County. Visit smh.com for information.