On December 9, 2014, the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center held its annual Staff Recognition and Holiday Party. Bringing in staff from the various Kennedy CHC sites, the event saw management, employees, and board members come together to share a meal and celebrate each other. Awards of service and scholarships were handed out, as well as many prizes and gifts up for grabs in a holiday raffle.
Awards of Service were given to employees who have been part of the Kennedy CHC family for five, ten, fifteen, twenty, and for the first time in Kennedy CHC history, thirty years.
Recipients of Service awards were:
Five Years of Service
Dana DelDotto
Gleidistoney De Oliveira
Corrine De Girolamo
Andrea Earley
Theodor Ene
Brenda Figueroa
Brian Genna
Ivonne Jimenez
Belinda Ortiz
Marisol Ortiz
Aruna Pappu
Usha Rallapalli
Sandra Restrepo
Francisco Vale
Renata Vieira
Ten Years of Service
Nora Alarcon
Jaclyn Bilello
Kelly Celestino
Sandra Durand
Paula Kaminow
Marline Ruiz
Ivelisse Sully
Fifteen Years of Service
Firas Aldarawcheh
Elizabeth Dobles
Tina King
Monica McGinty
Leo Negron-Cruz
Evelyn Ortiz
Ha Phan
Michele Pici
Ethel Serrano
Twenty Years of Service
Carmen Matias
Gloriselle Garcia
Thirty Years of Service
Grace Andrade
Newly created, The Imagination Scholarship award is given to a deserving Medical Assistant with the intention of aiding in the repayment of loans incurred during their certification studies. Though designed to be awarded to one recipient, with the generous funds of an anonymous donor, the scholarship was awarded to four deserving Kennedy CHC employees:
Iliana Perez-Guivas
Samantha Rodriguez
Luciana Dos Santos
Julissa Marte
The Customer Service Award was given to Nora Alarcon and Juliana Ruggieri.
Shawn Liddy of the IT department was awarded Employee of the Year.
The president’s award was given to Jaclyn Bilello, a Physician’s Assistant whose outstanding work with Worcester’s refugee population has made her stand out.
During the celebration, Valerie Zolezzi-Wyndham, Chair of the Board of Directors, presented outgoing Chair Matt Hogan with the Charles Estus Award for his commitment to Kennedy CHC. Dr.Charles Estus, one of the founders of Kennedy CHC (formerly Great Brook Valley Health Center) passed away last month after a long life of service, making the award a truly special honor.
The event was a testament to the combined efforts of all Kennedy CHC staff in improving the health and welfare of the communities they serve. It was a celebration of each other’s contributions and recognition of the positive change affected in 2014. As the New Year approaches, Kennedy CHC holds strong in its mission “To help people live healthier lives”.
