As part of Healthcare Appreciation Week, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System recognized longtime associates for their years of service and highlighted the Associate and Leader of the Year for 2023-2024. 

Associate of the Year: Lisa Kirby 

Lisa Kirby, a charge care manager in the Regional HealthPlus department, was named the Associate of the Year for her ability to go above and beyond in every way. 

Kirby started her Spartanburg Regional career as a phlebotomist before becoming a registered nurse in oncology. Now working in the health management network, she models a dedication to the healthcare system’s mission of advancing health together and uses the Standards of Behavior as her guiding light. 

As an example of her dedication, Kirby once had a Cherokee County patient who was living in a storage building with no heating or air and only a drop cord for electricity. The patient’s chronic health conditions led to frequent Emergency Center visits. After a year of intervention, Kirby was able to help this patient find stable housing, improving overall health. 

In another instance, Kirby worked with community resources to help a family in need obtain a working stove, which allowed the family to provide gifts for their children during Christmas. With a new stove, the family has been able to prepare home-cooked meals. Kirby’s helping hand and ability to take initiative led to improving the patient and family’s lives. 

“Since Lisa’s been here, she has been an ally, confidant, onboarding coach and clinical resource to the team. Lisa was chosen as the Beaumont Division Associate of the Year due to her commitment to the system’s mission, and we feel very fortunate to call her a friend and colleague,” said Shane Williams, system director of organizational development and corporate education. 

The associate division winners were: 

Medical Group of the Carolinas: Camalla Busa, Orthopaedic and Spine Surgery – Pelham 

Western Division: Angela McElroy, Med Surg 3 – Pelham Medical Center 

Spartanburg Medical Center Division: Bryant Simmons, Surgery – Mary Black Campus 

Post-Acute Division: Cory Meeker, Home Health 

Rural Health Division: Wendi McLemore, Med Surg – Cherokee Medical Center 

Leader of the Year: Frances Shannon Wylie 

Shannon Wylie, a respiratory therapist at Cherokee Medical Center and Union Medical Center, has modeled what it means to live and work with integrity, accountability, stewardship, collaboration, compassion and respect. 

She has developed a Medical Explorers Program at both hospital campuses, collaborating with different departments to offer learning opportunities to students and making sure that students’ needs are met. 

She also launched a pulmonary rehab program at Union Medical Center after requesting funds from the Spartanburg Regional Foundation to provide a needed service to many patients in rural settings. 

She also worked with heart wellness at Cherokee Medical Center to open a new cardiac rehab center that is growing and meeting patients’ needs. 

As a servant to her community, Wylie also won the Duke Energy Community Service award for 2023 and is the secretary of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce board.