April 30, 2004

2004 Pam Ellis Award recipient honored

Patricia Guerriero from MGH Thoracic Surgery is described as "a secretary who exemplifies what a professional executive secretary should be," according to Hermes Grillo, MD, Dean Donahue, MD, and Henning Gaissert, MD, all from MGH Thoracic Surgery. This is one of many reasons why Guerriero was the 2004 recipient of the Pamela J. Ellis Memorial Secretarial Award. The award, which is given every year to a support staff member in recognition of National Administrative Professionals Day, was named for Pamela Ellis, an executive secretary at the MGH who died in October 1996 at the age of 31. The $1,000 award was established in 1997 to honor employees who exhibit similar qualities in their work as Ellis. According to the nomination form submitted by her supervisors, "Pat exudes kindness and compassion and spends a great deal of time coordinating the complexities of our patients' surgical care, yet still remembers to ask a patient about his or her pets or family. It constantly amazes us how she can combine an intensely professional attitude with a small human touch for each patient."

Above, from left, Peter L. Slavin, MD, president of the MGH, with Guerriero and David Torchiana, MD, chairman and CEO of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization.