HCA Healthcare Awards of Distinction recipients announced at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital

HCA Florida Brandon Hospital announced its recipients of the prestigious HCA Healthcare Awards of Distinction. The HCA Healthcare Awards of Distinction—which include the Frist Humanitarian Awards, the Innovators Award and the Excellence in Nursing Awards—are the highest honors HCA Healthcare bestows on employees, physicians and volunteers. As part of HCA Healthcare, Brandon Hospital, is proud to recognize the exceptional work and dedication of these colleagues.

Brandon Hospital’s recipients of the HCA Healthcare Awards of Distinction are:

• Derika Graham, Director of Emergency Services FSED, Brandon Hospital: Frist Humanitarian Award, employee recipient
• Richard Pass, Nurse, HCA Florida Lakeland Emergency: Excellence in Nursing Award, Compassionate Care recipient
• Mildred Abinader, Clinical Nurse Coordinator: Excellence in Nursing Award, Professional Mentoring recipient

“We are proud to announce Derika Graham, Richard Pass and Mildred Abinader as our 2024 HCA Healthcare Awards of Distinction recipients,” said Tripp Owings, chief executive officer for HCA Florida Brandon Hospital. “These extraordinary individuals honor the vision of our founders, to deliver exceptional, patient-focused care to every patient who enters our hospital. Through their dedication and compassion, we are able to live out our mission to care for and improve human life.”

Derika Graham, Frist Humanitarian Award Facility Recipient

Derika Graham started in healthcare 18 years ago as a certified nursing assistant and moved on to a licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, clinical nurse coordinator and now a nurse manager. In May 2024, she was promoted from manager of the Plant City Free Standing Emergency Department (FSED) to Director of Emergency Services FSED role.

Graham shares her HCA leadership philosophy, “No one can be a great leader unless they genuinely care about the success of everyone on their team.” Her goal is to lead her team to succeed in the healthcare industry and encourage them to be good, kind and compassionate. Most recently, Graham and the HCA Florida University Emergency team served the community meals at Feeding Tampa Bay.

While managing HCA Florida Plant City Emergency, Graham led many volunteer initiatives. Her team collected clothes from the public and HCA colleagues to support Mel’s Closet, a service that allows homeless patients to select clothes during their stay. They also volunteered at the United Food Bank of Plant City, preparing one week’s worth of food in bags for elementary school students. Additionally, they extended their care to local pets in need, donating blankets, chew toys, collars and more to the non-profit, Crossed Paws.

“The First Humanitarian Award honors generosity in spirit, dedication and heart which reflects the HCA Healthcare mission to care for and improve human life. Derika lives our mission every day. She brings empathy and heart to her leadership position; she is generous with her time and actively volunteers. She inspires her colleagues to do their best and help with local causes in the community that need support,” said Melissa Bell, Vice President, Emergency Service Line, Brandon Hospital.

Richard Pass, Excellence in Nursing for Compassionate Care Facility Recipient

Richard Pass has been a charge nurse and an ER supervisor for over 20 years, caring for patients. He is a nurse at the HCA Florida Lakeland Emergency. His commitment to patient care is evident in the amazing Google reviews from patients and the respect of his colleagues.

For the last several months, the Lakeland Emergency’s Google Review score has improved from 3 to 4.6 stars. He was recognized as Caregiver of the Week for consistently receiving glowing Google reviews sharing his compassionate patient-centered care. Here is a comment that was shared:

"Nurse Richard was amazing and made me feel so comfortable. He was beyond nice and funny. Definitely a rare find in the medical field. I would and will return in the future just for the hospitality."

HCA colleagues acknowledge Pass’s commitment to patient care and mentoring colleagues.

“Not only has Richard enhanced our department with his amazing patient engagement and communication skills, but his presence and influence have certainly helped improve all of those working with him. When he is not on shift, our team remains intent on emulating him so we can commit to carry the torch that he has still not ready to pass on to us. Even though our current practice is in the FSED, we often train physicians (residents) and new nurse graduates. I have witnessed first-hand the influence that Mr. Pass has on their development,” said Dr. Craig Mitchell, Lakeland Emergency.

Mildred Abinader, Excellence in Nursing for Professional Mentoring Facility Recipient

Mildred Abinader has served in many nursing roles over her 30-plus-year career, from a staff nurse to a unit manager/shift supervisor. She is the Clinical Nurse Coordinator, CNC for HCA Florida Brandon Hospital’s D3 Med Surg floor. Abinader is the chair of the CNC Council and represents Brandon Hospital at West Florida Division and HCA Healthcare corporate meetings.

As a leader and a mentor, Abinader not only makes herself available to her staff but also actively listens to their challenges, issues and concerns. Abinader is involved in the career development of the care team, particularly in advancing their nursing knowledge, emphasizing safety to provide the highest quality of care. She believes that leaders don’t create followers, rather they create more compassionate leaders.

“One of Mildred’s greatest strengths is her ability to create a nurturing and supportive environment for her mentees. She goes above and beyond to provide personalized guidance, constructive feedback and valuable insights that help her mentees navigate the complexities of nursing practice with confidence and competence. Her mentorship style is characterized by patience, empathy and a genuine desire to see others succeed,” said Erika Mergl, Director of Nursing, Brandon Hospital.

“Mildred is very knowledgeable, compassionate and holds everyone accountable to the expectations. She takes pride in mentoring the new RNs and her colleagues. We are proud to have her as the CNC of D3 Med where she is such an asset to the team,” said Babu Muniswamy, D3 Med/Surg Manager, Brandon Hospital.

These caring and talented individuals will be considered for HCA Healthcare’s division-level awards. The division-level winners are entered into the judging for the enterprise-level awards, which will be announced during a special ceremony at HCA Healthcare’s headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee on September 24, 2024.

About the HCA Healthcare Awards of Distinction

Established in 1971, the Frist Humanitarian Award honors outstanding individuals for their humanitarian and volunteer activities. The awards are given annually in recognition of the caring spirit and philanthropic work of the late Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr., a founder of HCA Healthcare. The Frist Humanitarian Award recognizes one employee, one physician and one volunteer from each HCA Healthcare facility.

Brandon Hospital’s knowledgeable and compassionate nurses are on the front line of patient care, every day. The Excellence in Nursing Award was created in 2014 to recognize the intrinsic value of the nursing practice in accomplishing HCA Healthcare’s goal of providing the highest quality of care to the patients and the community. The award recognizes HCA Healthcare nurses who excel in the categories of Compassionate Care and Professional Mentoring.

Innovation comes in many forms and happens every day across our enterprise. The Innovators Award recognizes the pursuit of excellence in innovation through leadership, creativity and collaboration. This individual improves more lives in more ways by leading a culture of unique problem-solving.