The St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation’s Board of Directors and the Harvey Gray Family recently awarded the 2024 Carl A. Gray Memorial Award for nursing excellence. Each year the entire hospital staff nominates a nurse who exemplifies excellence in their nursing practice. The nursing staff then votes on the colleague, whom they believe is most deserving of recognition. This year, Scott Kelly, RN, BSN – Admin Supervisor for Med/Surg, Mother/Baby and the Emergency Department, was the staff’s clear choice to receive the excellence award.
His peers describe Scott as a humble and dedicated leader. Scott’s co-workers have confidence in his ability to know, research, and provide correct answers to protocol and policy questions. He provides both excellent care at the patient bedside and reliable support to the professional care team. His colleagues remarked that he is always there to jump in when needed and he demonstrates kindness all along the way. Scott’s overall knowledge of what’s occurring interdepartmentally along with his proficiency in clinical knowledge help him to stand out as a valuable resource in the Emergency Department (ED). He is also adept at maintaining a calm environment while he is helping. One co-worker stated, “even though Scott is now an Admin Supervisor, his nursing skills are utilized everyday as he steps in and helps when the ED is busy. This makes a HUGE difference!”
The presentation of the awards took place at Café Della in Hailey, providing an opportunity to recognize and celebrate each other. “It is one of my favorite nights of the year as it is so wonderful to honor the work that our nurses do every day. Our nurses embody unwavering dedication to both safety and compassion in their work. Their commitment to ensuring the well-being of every patient, while offering kindness and empathy, is a testament to their incredible professionalism and humanity. So many grateful patients have shared stories of excellent care, and they always want to acknowledge the superb nurses in Wood River,” said Megan Tanous, St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation Chief Development Officer.
The Harvey Gray Family established the annual award in the St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation to honor Carl A. Gray, who was an avid Sun Valley Ski Club member.
Awards of distinction were also given in specific areas of the St. Luke’s core values. The honorees included Annie Leady, BSN, RN, CPAN – Surgical Services, who was recognized for Integrity; Brandy Herold, RN, ASN – Family Medicine, for Compassion; Jasmine Schofield, RN – Mother/Baby Unit, for Accountability; and Janet Barton, RN, BSN – Mother/Baby Unit, for Respect.