December 14, 2001

Every year, excitement and anticipation surrounds the annual Partners in Excellence Awards presentation at the MGH. At this year's ceremony, held Dec. 7, the WACC Lobby was overflowing with MGH spectators. MGHers waited to hear the names of colleagues, both individuals and MGH and Partners teams, as they were honored for their outstanding contributions to Partners HealthCare in fiscal year 2001.

Past Partners in Excellence recipient Meg Clapp, director of the MGH Pharmacy, shared with the audience her thoughts and feelings about receiving the award last year. Jeff Davis, senior vice president for Human Resources, then introduced the recipients as James J. Mongan, MD, president of the MGH, and Samuel O. Thier, MD, president and CEO of Partners, shook hands and congratulated each individual winner and team leader. Applause echoed throughout the lobby for the honorees, with a resounding cheer specifically for the Coffee Central team. A special award – and a heartfelt standing ovation – was given to Susan Briggs, MD, and the MGH members of the Disaster Medical Assistance Team, who were recognized for their medical relief work at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11 tragedy in New York City.

The ceremony was capped off with the much-anticipated Partners in Excellence video, which featured employees from throughout the Partners system. The participants showcased achievements at each hospital in a clever parody of TV morning news shows. The video ended with Partners employees dancing and singing customized lyrics to the tune of "Give My Regards to Broadway."