May 2, 2003

Pam Ellis Memorial Secretarial Award winner recognized

Rosemary Dolan is described as the "secretary every other secretary cites as the best, who every resident says he or she would like to have work for them when setting up a practice," according to G. Rees Cosgrove, MD, an MGH neurosurgeon and Dolan's boss. This is just one of many reasons why Dolan was the 2003 recipient of the Pamela J. Ellis Memorial Secretarial Award.

Dolan (at right, with Cosgrove) received the award at the Secretarial and Administrative Support Staff Recognition Day luncheon held under the Bulfinch tent April 23. The 65 other nominees also were recognized for their contributions to the MGH.
Nomination letters were written by Cosgrove and Steven Kalkanis, MD, chief Neurosurgery resident, with comments from coworkers, patients and patients' family members who praised Dolan's ability to handle multiple tasks in the department of Neurosurgery, to get things done in a timely manner and to make patients feel like they are her top priority. One patient's daughter summed it up when she told Cosgrove, "Thank you Dr. Cosgrove for everything. You are really very good, but Rosemary is great."

The award, which is given annually to a secretarial/clerical support staff member in recognition of National Secretary's Day, was named for Pamela Ellis, an executive secretary at the MGH, who died in October 1996 at the age of 31. Ellis was known for her outstanding performance and work values, and the $1,000 award was established in 1997 to honor employees who exhibit similar qualities in their work.