It was a day of grand recognition for six community members who have devoted careers or volunteer hours to Lenoir Memorial Hospital.
“I almost cried when I open my letter,” Frances “Fran” Jones Dickerson said. “I was so surprised and pleased.”
Dickerson and five others were inducted into the Lenoir Memorial Hall of Honor on Saturday amidst about 150 people.
“It’s very humbling,” Darlene Ferguson Houston said.
L. Dennis Boykin said, “It’s a great honor. I’ve been with the hospital 35 years. The hospital is like a family to me — a great big family.”
Dr. Preecha Bhotiwhihok summed it up as “indescribable.”
This year marks the 13th year of the program.
The 2013 inductees are Bhotiwhihok, Boykin, Dickerson, Houston, Kay Taylor Harrell and the late Fred Edward Hunneke.
“They have extraordinarily contributed to the life and wellbeing of healthcare in Lenoir County,” said Gary Black, the hospital’s president and CEO.
The six new inductees will be added to the 84 previous recipients since 2001.
“I think we have a lot of people in the hospital and community that do a lot of work to provide services for the hospital,” said Constance Hengel, LMH’s director of community programming and development, “but we have some exceptional and outstanding individuals that deserve this special recognition.”
Individuals are recommended for induction based on years of employment, affiliation and/or service to LMH, contribution critical to LMH’s success, commitment to LMH recognizable to the community and significant contribution to the medical field within the community.
The following are the backgrounds and contributions of each of this year’s inductees:
Hunneke, a native of White Plains, N.Y., was a World War II and Korean War veteran. He was a renowned businessman and founder of Domestic Industries textile corporations.
He was appointed to the Lenoir Memorial Foundation Board of Directors in 1994, serving until 2011. He served as chairman from 2006-11. He sought funding for the foundation and promoted its activities.
His son, Bill Hunneke, accepted the award on behalf of him. He said his father has been on numerous boards and committees in the community but, well into his 80s, had to step down.
“But the hospital — not so much,” Hunneke said. “It was one of those things he wasn’t going to let go.”
Hunneke received a number of awards, including the Order of Long Leaf Pine and Kinston-Lenoir County Citizen of the Year. Only days before his passing on Aug. 9, he was honored by the Kinston community with a special banquet.
“He had a heart for always doing the right thing and he loved our community hospital,” Hengel said. “He will be greatly missed.”
Harrell, a Kinston native, is a UNC Chapel Hill graduate. She has served on the LMH Board of Directors since 1999 in a number of capacities and is involved in a number of community organizations.
Through the Kinston Rotary Club, she traveled to Ghana to help expand libraries and support scholarship efforts for African youth.
Physician-hospital relations improved through her leadership, and she helped develop investment and board executive compensation policies. Her artwork can be seen in hospital offices.
“I felt deeply honored,” Harrell said. “I thought it would be people who have done more than me. I guess it solidifies my association with the organization that means so much to our community.”
Bhotiwhihok — often referred to as “Dr. Preecha” — a board certified anesthesiologist from Thailand, joined LMH in 1977. He served as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors during his first term of two terms as medical staff president from 1991-92. He was active on a number of committees and boards.
Now retired, he volunteers at the Lenoir County Health Department and a general practice free clinic in Bayboro.
“Dr. Preecha’s greatest tribute has been to his patients,” Dr. Walter Sabiston said, “treating each and every one of them with dignity and respect insuring their safety and care. He is a true ‘physician’ in the broadest sense of the word.”
His photography can be viewed in many of the waiting rooms at LMH, and he is currently working on a gunsmithing degree at Lenoir Community College.
Boykin, a Wilson native and ECU graduate, began his career at LMH in 1979 as a purchasing agent. In 1997, he became director of material management, which included the hospital’s print shop.
He coordinated a new for-profit print shop with Wallace Business Forms that averaged a $2,000 profit a month. He opened DownEast Medical Supply Company, broadening the market in Ahoskie and Edenton.
Boykin was instrumental in obtaining disaster supplies at no cost for hurricane events, and helped establish and supports the May super ball golf tournament.
“It would be difficult to imagine someone more dedicated to Lenoir Memorial and its success than Dennis,” said Sarah Mayo, vice president of financial services.
Dickerson, a Duplin County native, has put in more than 12,000 hours of volunteer service at LMH, beginning in 1990, and continues to volunteer at the hospital.
She has served on numerous committees and officer roles for the volunteers, including awards coordinator for the N.C. Hospital Volunteer Association and conference director.
“Little did I know I’d be celebrating the 60th year of the organization,” she said, “celebrating with Fran Parker, who founded the organization.”
Parker, as well as Black, is a previous inductee.
Houston, a native of Ontario, Canada, began her nursing career at then-Pitt County Memorial Hospital, now Vidant Medical Center, in 1979.
In 1984, she started working at LMH and graduated from ECU with a degree in English education in 2002 with a desire to teach. When her husband lost his job, she stayed on at LMH.
In 2007, Harrell began teaching patients, as well nurses, about congestive heart failure (CHF), developing patient education materials.
“These people have a lot of hours of volunteering,” she said about some of the inductees. “So to be included with volunteers is certainly a very great honor.”
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.