Get To Know The President's Award 2021 Recipients!

The mission of Owensboro Health is to heal the sick and improve the health of the communities we serve. The success of that mission depends on many factors—strategy, tactics, facilities and technology, but the driving force behind our mission is our people—more than 4,500 team members strong.

When we work together, we can accomplish anything.

Every year, some of our most outstanding team members are nominated to receive the President’s Award. This is our highest honor, given to those who embody our core commitments of Integrity, Teamwork, Excellence, Service, Respect, and Innovation in extraordinary ways.

Congratulations to this year’s winners! You strive every day for something bigger than yourselves as you provide excellent healthcare to people who desperately need it. Whether you care directly for patients or work in other important ways, you serve with distinction, honor, and compassion we are grateful you have chosen to spend your days working with us.

Team member recipients receive a monetary prize, while physician winners choose a charity where a contribution will be made in their name.

Please go online to Link and read about your colleagues and friends. Their commitment to our highest ideals deserves our respect and admiration, plus they’re just great people we’re happy to know.

Enjoy!

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Morris Adams

Security
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital

About the recipient

Morris Adams is Owensboro born and bred. A 1983 graduate of Owensboro High School, he and his wife Tricia (who works in ultrasound) have been married for 26 years. They have four children between the two of them, five grandkids and another on the way! His mom Hettie still lives in the same house he grew up in here in Owensboro.

He loves to spend time with his family, working toward their shared goals and his own retirement. He’s already retired from his basketball career, winning several trophies from various leagues throughout the years, but he says the President’s Award is his proudest one yet.

When he’s not working, he’s vacationing or camping with his family, and rooting on the Kentucky Wildcats and the Dallas Cowboys.

Which core commitment is most important to you?

“Teamwork. Without teamwork, security would be impossible! I really enjoy working with my fellow co-workers – it makes work feel less like work! Service is also important – I enjoy helping people and have been for almost 33 years.”

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Gail Baumhofer

HIM
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital

About the recipient

Faith and family are central to Gail Baumhofer’s life. She has been married to her husband Aaron for 36 years. Together, they have four children and 13 grandchildren – she uses Snapchat to keep up with them during the week, and then the entire family is invited over every Sunday for a meal and a visit after Gail and Aaron get home from Slaughters Baptist Church, where they are active members.

Gail grew up in Webster County on her family farm and graduated from Webster County High School. She is proud of going back to school to earn an associate’s degree after the plant where she worked for 18 years shut down, and then finding a job in Health Information Management, where she has been for 12 years. “I work with a wonderful group of people in this department,” she said. She’s also proud of winning the President’s Award. “I was shocked to say the least,” she said.

“I am able to get out of bed each morning just knowing God has provided me with another day,” she added. “God provides me with so much. He provides me a lot of love.”

Which core commitment is most important to you?

“Teamwork is very important to me. I told my co-workers one day that we are like a puzzle – we are a piece by ourselves, but together we make a beautiful picture. We can accomplish so much as a team.”

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David Brey, MD

Rheumatology
Owensboro Health Medical Group

About the recipient

Dr. David Brey is born and raised in Owensboro, he graduated from the Owensboro Catholic School system, but before he left for college at WKU, medical school at U of L and a rheumatology fellowship at Vanderbilt, he started dating his now-wife Nicole Brey, whom he had known since 7th grade. (They attended college and medical school together, too.)

Now married for 21 years, they have three children and a beagle. David loves exercising with his wife and attending his kids’ sporting events and practicing with them. As a family, they have also planted hundreds of trees and shrubs on their property, and they love beach vacations. “My family is my driving force,” David said. “I live to take care of them.”

Along with raising his family, one of his most proud achievements is winning the President’s Award.

Which core commitment is most important to you?

“Teamwork is the most important core commitment to me because great teamwork helps me to take care of my patients. Without the teamwork of my office staff, I would not be able to provide my patients with the best care possible. Their work behind the scenes helps me to keep my patients healthy. I feel that it is the teamwork of my entire office that has led me to be honored with this President's Award.”

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Debbie Hagan

IT
Owensboro Health Systems

About the recipient

Debbie Hagan loves her family – and she has a lot of them! Her three siblings are her best friends, and she has been married to her husband Gary for 40 years. (Fun fact: they met at a Trinity High School basketball game in the blue barn.) They have two children and six grandchildren, along with many in-laws, nieces and nephews, and they love spending time together.                 

She is most proud of staying married for four decades, building a life with her family in the country, and constantly learning new things for her job in the Information Technology department, where she has worked for 24 years after growing up in Henderson and Whitesville and graduating from Brescia College.

Debbie volunteers at the Food Pantry and is involved in her church, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fordsville. She loves to be outside on the farm and in her gardens with flowers and vegetables, but she is most passionate about her relationship with God. “My morning prayer time gets me up and keeps me grounded and focused,” she said. “I depend totally on God and he has not failed me. I need my faith in God all day, every day.”

Which core commitment is most important to you?

“The focus on teamwork has been so important in making my job enjoyable. Every team member over the last 24 years has contributed to that joy. We all work hard to serve the employees who take care of patients. My team is innovative in creating solutions to requests and needs. We respect the patients and our fellow employees who trust us to handle data properly. I enjoy my job, my team and the whole IT Department.”

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Pam Haire

Environmental Services
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital

About the recipient

Pam Haire is not afraid to make a change. After graduating from Owensboro Senior High and the Licensed Practical Nursing program at Owensboro Vocational School, she worked as an LPN for 21 years with geriatrics before deciding she wanted to do something different, leading to a job in housekeeping on the Labor floor, where she has been for seven years. “I work with a great bunch of people on the labor floor,” she said. “They are like family to me. We all make a great team and they treat me with great respect.”

Pam has been married to her husband Brad for seven years, although they have been together for 21 years. She has two stepsons, a grandson and two siblings, and she is very close to her family. She and Brad live in Reed with their cat, Sylvester.

Pam is passionate about helping others in need and performing her job well. She enjoys the outdoors and hunting and fishing with Brad, along with camping and gardening. She ranks receiving the President’s Award as one of her greatest achievements.

Which core commitment is most important to you?

“I feel that each core commitment is very important to provide excellent care, but I feel very strongly about respect and teamwork. Everyone needs to work together to have a team, and in order to have a team, you must have respect for each other.”

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Carol Hall

Pharmacy
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital

About the recipient

Carol Hall, has spent 43 years at Owensboro Health and 32 of those years as a Purchasing Agent. “It has become my life’s daily routine and what gets me out of bed each day,” she said. “Making sure we have the drugs and supplies needed to care for our patients is what I am most passionate about. To believe someone would nominate me to receive this award is my greatest achievement, and I am grateful.”

Carol’s ability to stick with a job was born on a farm in west Daviess County, where she grew up one of seven children, learning the value of hard work at an early age. They grew their own meats and vegetables, ate meals together, said the rosary each night, and wore hand-sewn clothes. A trip to Owensboro was a special occasion.

Carol has been married to her husband Terry for 39 years, and they are members of The Immaculate Catholic Church. They have two sons and five grandchildren, who are the joy of their lives, and they spend time at their sporting events and activities. Longevity runs in the family – Carol still helps care for her 91-year old mother.

She enjoys being outside, working in her yard, walking the trails at the hospital and bike riding on the Greenbelt.

Which core commitment is most important to you?

“We couldn't do what we do without Teamwork. There are many pieces to the puzzle, and it takes a great team to pull it all together so it works. We have that great team.”

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Guscilla Johnson, RN

Diabetes Resource
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital

About the recipient

When Guscilla’s daughter April was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 8 in 1984, it changed Guscilla’s life forever because it put her on the path to becoming a nurse, one of her most proud achievements. “It was one of the hardest things I ever did,” she said.

Today, she is a mother of two, and has three grandchildren, along with two special “grandsons of her heart.” She was born at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital in Owensboro and is “Mechanicsville proud” from growing up in that area. Their house was located in a cul de sac called “the court,” where kids from all over the community came to play jacks, kickball, roller skate and ride bikes. She attended an all-black school through third grade until segregation was declared illegal – she later graduated from Owensboro High School and got her nursing degree from Kentucky Wesleyan.

She loves to read, binge watch shows, do Diamand Art Painting, and she crochets blankets for God’s Littlest Angels, an organization that provides burial clothes for babies lost too soon.

“My passion is my work,” Guscilla said. “My daily prayer since I became a nurse was to bring no harm to a patient and allow me to help someone today. It gives me unspeakable joy to bring comfort to a patient that is scared when they have been given the diagnoses of diabetes.”

She’s also proud of receiving the President’s Award. “To be acknowledged by your peers is the highest honor one can achieve,” she said. “I am honored, humbled and proud.”

Which core commitment is most important to you?

“It’s hard to choose just one. Each day I want to give my most excellent service with respect to a patient in their most vulnerable time.”

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Sabrina Johnson, DPT

Therapy Services
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital

About the recipient

Sabrina Johnson lives a full, fun life. She has been married to her husband Dennis for 28 years, and they have three kids, a daughter-in-law, and two grandkids. Now that they’re empty nesters, they also have three dogs: two Havanese and an Aussiedoodle.

Born and raised in Owensboro, Sabrina graduated from Owensboro High School and attended several universities as she worked hard to become a physical therapist, eventually earning a post-professional doctorate from the University of Indianapolis. She ranks that among her greatest achievements, along with becoming a mother and a Christian. “Motherhood has taught me patience and love that I could never imagine,” she said. “As strange as it sounds, I miss sloppy kisses, running kids to sporting events, smelly soccer bags, sleepovers, game night and much, much more. I also cannot imagine life without my relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Sabrina is passionate about working with her colleagues in the pursuit of serving their patients. She likes collaborating with and learning from her peers as well as sharing her knowledge and skills with others.

She also enjoys traveling, vacations, Bible study, family game night, and spending time with friends and family. “I feel a good day is a day that includes fun, laughter and the ability to make a difference,” she said.

Which core commitment is most important to you?

“The most important core commitment to me is service. Focusing on our patients' needs incorporates all the attributes of the other core commitments. When your patient is your main focus, it requires you to find the most innovative method(s) of treatment, provide compassionate care, search for the right decision for that person by treating them with respect, and involving a team approach to achieve the most favorable outcome for each patient.”

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Rachel Millay

Laboratory
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital

About the recipient

Rachel Millay was born and raised in Owensboro, graduated from Apollo High School and then graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2006. The next morning, she started her job at Owensboro Medical Health System.

“I am passionate about helping others,” she said. “I want to be able to answer questions, fix problems, and improve processes, whether it be at home for friends and family or at work for co-workers and patients. I am motivated by helping others. It gives me a sense of purpose.”

She has been married to her husband Derrick for 14 years, and Derrick is outnumbered at home – they have two daughters and two girl dogs as well. Rachel’s parents and two sisters also live in Owensboro, and she loves spending time with them and her friends. She also enjoys traveling, cooking, and watching her girls’ softballs tournaments and dance performances.

When it comes to achievements, motherhood tops the list. “I am raising two genuine, kindhearted, and amazing little girls,” Rachel said. “I am passing down the qualities that were emphasized from my parents, and I am proud to see this instilled in them.”

She’s also proud to work in a field that is fast-paced, innovative, challenging and rewarding, and to receive the President’s Award. “It is humbling to be recognized by my peers who set the bar high,” she said. “I am proud to work alongside them every day.”

Which core commitment is most important to you?

“Service is the most important core commitment because as healthcare workers, I feel that all of us should be driven by patient care. There are so many professions where you can exude excellence, innovation, and teamwork, but in healthcare, we get the unique opportunity to serve our community, our patients, and their families when they need us most. I can't think of anything more rewarding than this.”

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Cindy Rutherford, PTA

Therapy Services
Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital

About the recipient

Not many people can say they go to work every day in the same place they were born, but Cindy Rutherford’s roots go deep into Muhlenberg County. Born at Muhlenberg Community Hospital, where she now works, she also grew up in Belton, where she now lives.

After graduating from Hughes Kirk High School, she started work in the hospital’s Medical Records department in 1979 – part of the original co-op. After eight years, she went on a home health physical therapy visit and was hooked on the field. She was part of the first PTA class at Paducah Community College and came back to Muhlenberg Community Hospital in 1990, where she has served ever since.

Cindy has been married to her husband Mark for 41 years, and they stick together. Mark’s father died when Mark was young, and Cindy’s dad had multiple open-heart surgeries when she was a child – the thought of his death was always in the back of her mind. She loves to garden, teach Sunday School to kids and serve in a ministry on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma.

She is passionate about coming to work, helping her clients get better and improving the community outlook of physical therapy. She’s most proud of going to college after being out of high school for 10 years, serving as secretary for the Western District KPTA, and performing her daily activities in physical therapy for maximum client benefit.

Which core commitment is most important to you?

“All the core commitments are important for patient well-being. Performing my job to the utmost as God has enabled me to do so is most paramount in my life!”

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Jenni Smith, RN

Behavioral Health Unit
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital

About the recipient

Jenni Smith took a scary leap, and it paid off. While working a full-time job with two small kids, she decided to go back to nursing school. Her husband Nick supported the decision and together, they made it work, a fact that she is still proud of.

If you’ve met Jenni, you know she’s passionate about mental health, and loves to be a resource for her colleagues, including the new team members she teaches. “It is important to me to be an advocate for anyone with behavioral health needs,” she said. “It truly is ‘okay not to be okay,’ and I hope I can use this opportunity to help others when they need it.”       

Jenni and Nick have been married for 19 years, and those two small children are 18 and 15 now. “They make me laugh every day and definitely keep me on my toes,” she said. “They never cease to amaze me.”

Jenni was born and raised in Owensboro, graduating from Daviess County High School. She loves to travel, but also loves the small-town feel of Owensboro. She also enjoys watching her son play baseball for Apollo, watching football, reading and all things Harry Potter.

Which core commitment is most important to you?

“I try very hard to live up to each core commitment. The one most important to me is Teamwork. I truly believe that I do not deserve this award without acknowledging the amazing team I get to work with every day. I am beyond fortunate to work with a great group of people. We are not people who come to work to individually care for our patients; we provide exceptional care as a team. Day, night, or weekend, I hope that my team knows they can always count on me to be their best teammate.”