Submitted photo: Pictured with Director of Nursing Medical Surgical Services Stacy Branch are Safe Care Award recipients Stefanie Thomas, Emily George, Leah Spivey and Kristi Andros, along with Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Pankaj Agrawal.

SGMC Health honored nurses Kristi Andros, Emily George, Stefanie Thomas and Leah Spivey as recipients of the prestigious Safe Care Award, recognizing their extraordinary commitment to patient safety and excellence in care.

While working on the 4 West unit, this exceptional team of nurses quickly recognized signs of an acute stroke when a patient experienced a sudden change in mental status. Without hesitation, they acted swiftly and decisively to mobilize resources and notify the necessary providers. Within minutes, the patient was expedited to CT imaging, demonstrating textbook execution of SGMC Health’s emergency response protocols.

“These nurses displayed exceptional clinical judgment and teamwork under pressure,” said Cherise Giddens, vice president and chief nursing officer. “Their rapid, coordinated response likely changed the trajectory of this patient’s recovery. This is what a culture of safe, reliable care looks like in action.”

The Safe Care Award is part of SGMC Health’s journey to become a High Reliability Organization, a designation that reflects an organization-wide commitment to safety, quality and continuous improvement. Recipients of the award exemplify core HRO principles such as adherence to safety protocols, proactive risk identification, and a commitment to mentoring and knowledge sharing.

Through their actions, these team members exemplified every aspect of SGMC Health’s mission to deliver safe, high-quality care to every patient, every time

SGMC Health encourages all team members, patients and community members to recognize acts of excellence in patient safety. Nominations for the Safe Care Award can be submitted at sgmc.org/recognition.