For 10 years, the MUSC community has been acknowledging deserving colleagues with the MUSC President’s Values in Action (VIA) Awards, which highlight exemplary work surrounding MUSC’s common core values of Compassion, Collaboration, Innovation, Integrity and Respect.
The VIA Awards give MUSC team members the chance to nominate those who have gone above and beyond, showing outstanding service to their patients, colleagues and community.
Dawn Hartsell, chief of staff, Office of the President, served as the master of ceremonies for the 2025 event, which took place on Nov. 13. She explained that since 2016, the year MUSC President David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, and first lady Kathy Cole started the awards, there have been 73 colleagues recognized and a total of 483 nominations in all.
A total of 129 nominations were received this year, with 11 total recipients. The president shared that reading the submissions each year is a reminder of what makes MUSC extraordinary.
“Reviewing the VIA nominations every year provides a unique perspective – seeing the incredible ongoing impact of the nominees through the eyes of their colleagues, co-workers and leaders. It’s a powerful reminder of the dedication and work happening every single day at MUSC,” said Cole.
“Serving as a steward in this role is certainly an honor because of the more than 34,000 individuals working tirelessly to make a difference in people’s lives. Reading these nominations reinforces why I get up every morning and go to work.”
As the winners were announced, it was clear that those who nominated them were just as thrilled as those who accepted the recognition.
Compassion
The recipient for the core value of Compassion, which recognizes those who act with kindness, empathy and dignity, was Malynda McLemore. Receiving four separate nominations by her colleagues, Julie Ham, Andrew Hargett, Robin Smith and Mary Gregory, McLemore clearly takes her role as a Building and Grounds supervisor in Charleston to the next level.
Smith, her manager, was ecstatic that McLemore received the recognition she so richly deserved. “Malynda just does it all. And she's also extremely selfless. Malynda just embodies what Compassion is for MUSC.”
Humbled by the award, McLemore immediately demonstrated why so many colleagues see kindness in her. “I will continue to work every day because I am so blessed and thankful to do better,” she said.
Collaboration
There were four winners representing the core value of Collaboration, which highlights those who excel in teamwork and partnership.
An orthodontic assistant at the Resident Clinic and Faculty Practice in Charleston, Allen “AJ” Johnson, was the first to be recognized as a winner in the core value of Collaboration. He was nominated by College of Dental Medicine Dean Sarandeep Huja, D.D.S., Ph.D.; Douglas Alterman, D.M.D.; Megan Brand; and Tariq Javed, D.M.D., D.D.S., who introduced Johnson.
“This is almost a lifetime achievement award,” Javed said, “for the work he has done in the orthodontics clinic and specifically his work with the students and residents. He has the capability to calm them down, especially the new residents and new students. Patients love him. All his colleagues love him. Thank you so much.”
Elated by the honor, especially Javed’s comments, Johnson shared his gratitude. “I’ve been here since 1997. It’s my home. And this is one way to keep me. I'm supposed to retire in March, but now I'm second-guessing myself. I thank everybody, and I love all of you.”
Cathy Bennett, also an honoree in the core value of Collaboration, is the coordinator of the Volunteer Services Therapy Animal Program for MUSC Health in Charleston. Bennett was nominated by her colleagues Matthias Frye and Oriana Dugarte.
“Cathy is an outside-the-box thinker, and her passion behind our Therapy Animal Program is something that she focuses on placing inside of everyone else’s box,” Frye explained. “This award symbolizes that she’s always looking for ways to grow our program and share it with so many other departments and organizations, and we are very appreciative of her.”
Bennett’s passion for her program was evident to all. “I thank you, MUSC, for embracing and loving the canine therapists that work here at MUSC.”
Hartsell noted that October marked the 20th anniversary of the Therapy Animal Program on campus.
The third MUSC Collaboration honoree was Evan Graboyes, M.D. A head and neck oncologist in Charleston, he was nominated by colleagues Jason Newman, M.D.; Raymond DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., director of Hollings Cancer Center; and Jennifer Dahne, Ph.D.
“Evan's deep alignment with this value of Collaboration is really best exemplified by being the founding director of what we in Hollings call SCOR, which is the Survivorship and Cancer Outcomes Research Initiative,” Dahne explained.
“Through SCOR, he’s assembled this institution-wide collaborative hub of clinicians, patient stakeholders, researchers and administrative personnel to try to improve cancer survivorship outcomes for the patients that we’re charged with serving.”
Graboyes was quick to express his gratitude for his colleagues. “When I started MUSC eight years ago as a clinician and someone who didn’t know much about research, it was the Hollings research community that taught me everything I know, and they are the people who made me love research and cancer survivorship.”
“The collaboration level that he’s at is just so far and above what we normally would be doing as emergency managers that I just felt like he really needed to be acknowledged.”
Upon accepting the award, Jarvis shared his deep appreciation. “I am very humbled and honored for this. I believe in the mission that MUSC encompasses. So, thank you.”
Innovation
The core value of Innovation honors those who champion meaningful transformation, embracing new ideas, discoveries and approaches. Few reflect that commitment more than Kay Douglas, executive director of Human Resources for the MUSC Health-Pee Dee Division.Jason Cox, chief operating officer for the MUSC Health-Pee Dee Division, was pleased to nominate Douglas. “Kay has done a lot of innovative things in the HR world out in the RHN, and she’s developed many best practices for the entire enterprise. We want to acknowledge her for all her hard work that she does throughout the state of South Carolina.”
Douglas noted that she couldn’t have done it without her team and leaders. “We have a great team. I have a great team. My senior leadership team is great. They are always ready to accept my crazy ideas that I think would help in the workforce space. I couldn’t do this without their support and, of course, my team’s support too.”
Integrity
Integrity is measured in consistent accountability and principled action. The two honorees for this year’s core value of Integrity embody the character and commitment that uphold MUSC’s values.
Tammy Stubblefield, R.N., an occupational nurse at the MUSC Health Chester Medical Center, was nominated by her colleague Cheri Kiley, who explained that Stubblefield can be counted on consistently.
“Tammy never gets tired of doing the right thing – every time, and I really appreciate that. She’s a role model for all of us,” she said.
Stubblefield shared that credit. “It’s all because the people we work with that make it so easy. We all work well together. Thank you so much for recognizing that.”
Co-recipient of the Integrity Award, Carlos Lopez, business research manager for the MUSC College of Nursing, was recognized for his steady accountability and unwavering commitment to the college and his colleagues.
His nominator, Teresa Kelechi, R.N., Ph.D., said that she and Lopez go way back. “When you hear the word budget, I don't know about you, but it kind of raises one’s anxiety level. I’ve never seen Carlos flustered in all the years I have known him. He has been patient with all of us.”
Lopez was humbled by the recognition and grateful for the community that surrounds him. “I am very grateful for this award,” he said, “and for being part of the MUSC family.”
Respect
Once again, because there were so many exceptional examples of employees embodying a core MUSC value, the Coles chose to recognize two recipients – this time with the core value of Respect, which honors every person and their many perspectives.
Rosemary Williams, a Systems EEG Quality and Professional Development coordinator in Charleston, was nominated by Allison Jones for her many contributions and for going above and beyond.
“She’s been a trailblazer, and she’s just continued to pour into her own development,” said Jones. “And she spreads that in so many ways.”
Williams accepted her award, expressing her deep affinity for MUSC and her colleagues. “I heard you all say the word home. MUSC is home. That is very true for me. I grew up in these hallways. Everybody here has played a role in who I am. Respect is not just a value that I live by. It’s truly part of who I am as a person.”
Melissa Howell, R.N., an ICU nurse in Florence, was also honored for the core value of Respect. Nomika Nepal, R.N., Howell’s nominator, spoke from the heart about her.
“She has been a nurse for 40 years, and she has been part of MUSC Florence from the very beginning. She has always shown incredible respect, not only for the patients and co-workers but also for the nursing profession itself. She’s a great nurse and an incredible person with a golden heart.”
Howell accepted her award with her signature modesty. “I am just an everyday bedside nurse, and I’m so honored to represent all the bedside nurses.”
Impact Award
The evening’s final award went to a recipient who has had a significant impact both on, and beyond MUSC. Impact awards are not given annually but, instead, are given only when a nominee rises to a level that deserves this recognition. Because of his groundbreaking work in immunotherapy and its significant impact on cancer patients, Shikhar Mehrotra, Ph.D., was given the 2025 Impact Award by the Coles.Besim Ogretmen, Ph.D., who nominated his colleague for Innovation, spoke of Mehrotra in the highest terms.
“He’s respected with not only the MUSC family but also with national and international immunologists. I learn every day from Shikhar, and this is so well-deserved. So, thank you Shikhar for everything you do for MUSC.”
Mehrotra expressed his gratitude for the consistent support he has felt at MUSC. “You all have been very supportive and very helpful all through this journey. There are highs and lows in this profession, which we all know, but I think we have kept with it because of the great support system that we have created here at MUSC.”
Hartsell concluded the event by asking others to pay it forward. “Please continue seeing the wonderful things that our MUSC family members are doing on a daily basis and recognize them for that. There’s nothing better than recognition for the work that people are doing when we are striving so hard to go above and beyond.”
Perhaps the president said it best: “When we talk about values in action, we must recognize the importance of how we treat each other. We talk about being ‘OneMUSC,’ but that doesn’t just happen. We must work together as a family to make a difference – to support and elevate each other every day. That’s how we create the culture and place that is MUSC.”
VIA Award honorees each receive a certificate, a keepsake, an engraved brick on the Charleston Medical District Greenway and a monetary award.
