Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center Presents 2004 Caring With Excellence Awards

12/14/2004

Together at the 2004 Caring With Excellence Awards ceremony are, seated left to right, Amy B. Katzew, DPM, Physician Service Medal, and Mary Jo Feresten, RN, Nurse Award. Left to right standing are Scott Stewart, MD, award committee chair, Robert M. Becher, MD, Physician Service Medal, Vincent Iacono, MD, Physician Service Medal, Peter J. Holden, speical award recipient and former Caritas Good Samaritan president, and Joseph Ciccolo, Caritas Good Samaritan president.

In awarding this year's Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center Caring With Excellence Awards, interim president Joseph E. Ciccolo Jr. praised the hardworking, caring, compassionate and dedicated recipients who have given so much of themselves to the hospital.

Ciccolo presented the awards Dec. 14 during a reception at the hospital's J. Joseph Moakley Conference Center.

He presented a special Caring With Excellence Award to Peter Holden of Medfield, the hospital's president since 1999, for "his tremendous courage, humility, honesty and humor" in exercising the leadership that refocused the hospital on quality and service and that has been instrumental in its recent successes. Holden recently was appointed president of Caritas Holy Family Hospital and Medical Center in Methuen.

Other Caring With Excellence Award honorees were: Vincent Iacono, MD, of South Easton, Physician Award; Mary Jo Feresten, RN, of West Bridgewater, Nurse Award; Paula L. Smith, CNA, of Stoughton, Allied Health Professional Award; and Sister Mary George Powell, CJC, posthumous Community Member Award.

In addition, Physician Service Medals honoring members of the medical staff who are retiring after 20 or more years of service were presented to Robert M. Becher, MD, of Marion, Joseph F. DiTroia, MD, of Canton, Amy B. Katzew, DPM, of Braintree, George J. Petros, DMD, of Brockton, and Mayer Rubenstein, MD, of Centerville.

The Caring With Excellence Awards are presented to individuals who demonstrate deep respect for their colleagues, thrive in their profession, make a profound impact on others and demonstrate every day a commitment to the hospital's mission to heal, care, comfort and serve. A committee of peers selects the award winners from more than 50 nominations each year.

Board-certified in orthopedic surgery, Dr. Iacono has been affiliated with Caritas Good Sam for more than two decades and is an assistant clinical professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. Born in Italy during World War II, he came to the United States in the mid-'50s and is still fluent in Italian.

"I have worked with Dr. Iacono for over 20 years, and I can honestly say he is a gentleman, a caring, generous man," said Elaine Sassone, RN, a Caritas Good Sam SurgiCenter nurse, who was among many colleagues who nominated Dr. Iacono for a Caring With Excellence Award. "He is passionate about health care," she continued. "Dr. Iacono should be looked upon as a pillar of the community, and new and younger MDs should take a lesson from this man."

Feresten has been with Caritas Good Sam for more than 30 years. She has served as a staff nurse, nursing supervisor for surgical and pediatric units and the endoscopy suite and joined the case management department in 1990. Having completed many hospital committee assignments over the years, including the Nursing Council, she is active in the parish nurses' health care ministry at St. Ann's in West Bridgewater where she lives with her husband Michael. She has three children and two grandchildren.

"Mary Jo has the ability to be totally objective on a difficult case, and her coworkers frequently look to her for advice, not only professionally, but personally, as well," said Laurel White, RN, in her nomination letter. "Her compassion, care and quiet aura of self-assurance has earned her the nickname of 'Sister Mary Jo.' I wonder sometimes who she goes to for advice, since we all depend upon her so much."

Feresten is retiring this April. "To say that she will be missed," White said, "is a massive understatement. She has treated the medical center as part of her family by serving with unwavering commitment. She has shown her patients and coworkers respect and compassion."

"I am overwhelmed at being picked for this special award," Smith said. "I feel so unworthy." Her colleagues of more than 20 years at the hospital felt differently. "Paula Smith is the most caring person I have met," said Patti Bendell, RN. "She continually goes above and beyond the call of duty day after day."

"She is attentive to everyone's needs, including patients, patients' families, nursing, respiratory and lab," said Barbara O'Hara of respiratory care. "A light is barely turned on before Paula is responding. Her patients are truly cared for. Paula is what the Caring With Excellence Award is all about."

Sister Mary George Powell, CJC, died on Holy Saturday evening in April of this year. Her memorial in the hospital newsletter, which was summarized from her eulogy, said, "We need to remember her legacy of works and prayer and love for the Lord and His people."

Maryann Powell was a cosmetologist with three beauty salons, a limo, penthouse and numerous suitors, but she gave up her worldly lifestyle and entered the Poor Sisters of Jesus Crucified and The Sorrowful Mother. Her vows led her to care for the elderly. She trained as a nurse and physical therapist, became purchasing agent for the order's nursing home, took clinical pastoral education and became a nationally certified chaplain. As coordinator for Caritas Good Sam's pastoral services department, she was a bundle of energy, seeing to everything from acquiring computer programs to concerts and memorial services. She showed special love for the poor, whether saving clothes for Lithuania or finding places for the homeless and sick.

"Of course," her memorial concluded, "she was devoted to healing prayer, and hundreds sought her prayer."

Caring With Excellence Awards have been presented annually to Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center employees and medical staff for 15 years.

Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center is a 212-bed, acute care, community hospital with inpatient and outpatient programs that serves Brockton and 22 neighboring communities. The hospital offers services in family practice, internal medicine, intensive and cardiac care, emergency care, general medicine, surgery, obstetrics and specialized services in women's health. Caritas Good Samaritan is a member of Caritas Christi Health Care, the second largest not-for-profit health system in New England.