Saint Joseph Hospital Recognizes Outstanding Staff With 2021 Employee, Leader of the Year Awards

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 7, 2021) – Saint Joseph Hospital has announced its 2021 Employee of the Year and Leader of the Year award recipients. Kayla Isaacs, medical technologist lead, of Richmond, was named Employee of the Year. Marla Whitaker, director, Pharmacy, of Louisville, was presented with the Leader of the Year award. Whitaker was also named CHI Saint Joseph Health’s overall Leader of the Year for 2021.

Saint Joseph Hospital annually recognizes one outstanding Employee of the Year who demonstrates CHI Saint Joseph Health’s core values of compassion, inclusion, integrity, excellence and collaboration.

“Kayla demonstrates all of CHI Saint Joseph Health’s core values,” said Isaacs’ colleague. “Most importantly, she demonstrates compassion by always thinking of others and asking how she can help them.”

Similarly, Saint Joseph Hospital annually presents one employee serving in a managerial position with the Leader of the Year award. Selection criteria include an outstanding demonstration of leadership led by CHI Saint Joseph Health’s core values compassion, inclusion, integrity, excellence and collaboration.

“Marla has been an inspirational leader who has led growth and innovation in the pharmacy service line,” said a colleague. “Marla is an advocate for her team and speaks up to ensure the pharmacy staff is well represented. Marla meets each and every challenge with a solution and is loyal to the mission and leadership at CHI Saint Joseph Health.”

In her day-to-day duties, Whitaker leads collaboration between the pharmacies at Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph Jessamine. Her colleagues say she has served as a champion for rapid growth and improvement of the retail pharmacy at Saint Joseph East and the establishment of the Saint Joseph Hospital retail pharmacy. Through her leadership, Whitaker has led the standardization of policies and practices, increased growth in services, enhanced levels of care, and increased employee engagement. Her colleagues say she is a testament to CHI Saint Joseph Health’s core values.

All award winners were recognized during a virtual ceremony in mid-November.

About CHI Saint Joseph Health

CHI Saint Joseph Health, part of CommonSpirit Health, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 100 locations in 20 counties, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes, home health agencies and an ambulatory Care Center. The hospitals in CHI Saint Joseph Health are Flaget Memorial Hospital, Saint Joseph Berea, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph Jessamine, Saint Joseph London, Saint Joseph Mount Sterling, and Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide. CHI Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to providing a wide array of services toward a goal of building a healthier future for all. CHI Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves.

About Saint Joseph Hospital 

Saint Joseph Hospital is a 433-bed hospital located in Lexington, Kentucky. Established in 1877 by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky, the facility serves residents of central and eastern Kentucky and is a nationally recognized tertiary medical center. Saint Joseph Hospital is Lexington’s first hospital. The hospital’s original mission was to provide compassionate care to the poor and underserved – a tradition still carried out today.

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