Briefly in the news

Local health-care providers were honored at the 2001 Health Care

Service Excellence Summit awards, it was announced Wednesday.

As part of the Health Care Service Excellence Assn. Conference in

Newport Beach on Sept. 29, the awards celebrate health-care practices and

contributions to service excellence.

In their respective categories, Summit Award winners are Health-care

Professional -- Virginia “Ginny” Gamper, Sutter Memorial Hospital;

Dedicated Volunteer -- Ralph Hillman, Hoag Hospital; Exceptional Nurse --

Daron Igwe, Hoag; Empowering Manager -- Sherry King, Hoag; Customer

Focused Physician -- Brian Itagaki, St. Vincent Medical Center; Chief of

Staff -- Dr. Richard Doering, Hoag; Founder’s Award -- Gamper, Sutter;

Inspiring Administrator -- Barbara Nelson, Sutter; Community Relationship

Improvement Program -- St. Joseph Hospital; Innovative Service Excellence

Project -- Hoag; Front Line Customer Service Trainer -- First Year

(Service Excellence Advisor) Stephanie Boles, Ranchos Los Amigos National

Rehabilitation Center; Front Line Customer Service Training Team --

Rancho Team Pride of Amy Schmidt, Pat Flores, Gale Mejico, Sandra Palafox

and Danamey Rivera, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center;

Front Line Customer Service Trainer -- Second Year (SEA Second Year

Mentor) Alice Johnson, Hoag; Front Line Customer Service Trainer -- Third

Year (SEA Third Year Ambassador) Patricia Fosha, Sutter; Service

Excellence Program Director -- Lyn O’Connor, Sutter Health Central;

Service Leadership Team -- Heddy Hoopfer, Tommie McCrae, Minda Ofiana,

Mary Walker and Diana Lugo, St. Vincent; and Service Recovery Program --

St. Francis Medical Center.