January 26, 2007

MGHers named Black Achievers

Each year, the YMCA of Greater Boston celebrates local professionals of color with its Black Achievers award, now in its 32nd year. This year, the YMCA recognized three awardees from the MGH. Selected for this honor were Winifred Drayton, of Health Information Services; Lisa Francis, of the Admitting Services/Financial Access Unit; and Joy Williams, RN, of the Radiology Department. They were chosen for this award on the basis of two criteria: professional excellence and commitment to community service that benefits minority youth.

Drayton, a native of Boston, sits on the board of a neighborhood outreach organization called Caribbean U-Turn that benefits at-risk youth of Caribbean origin. Drayton has worked for the MGH for 15 years, all of them in Health Information Services. She credits the MGH with providing her with the opportunities to achieve her professional goals. A repeat recipient of the MGH's Tuition Assistance and Support Service Employee Grant Programs, Drayton strongly believes that employees at the MGH should take advantage of opportunities available to achieve professional growth.

Francis serves on the parent council of the Freedom House in Dorchester, a nonprofit organization that offers after-school programs for inner-city youth. In the three years she has worked at the MGH, she has been promoted twice, and she acknowledges the supportive roles played by her managers, colleagues and the MGH in her professional growth.

Williams has worked at the MGH for 26 years. A native of Jamaica, she is active in her community church, participating in outreach programs for at-risk youth from Boston. She believes that it is important for young people to be exposed to positive role models and strives to be one herself through hard work and dedication. In addition to these activities, Williams also tutors nursing students at Bunker Hill Community College, and last summer she aided tsunami victims in Indonesia as part of Project Hope.

The women were nominated for the award by their colleagues and managers, and each expressed a belief that being a part of the MGH had facilitated their success. Says Williams, "Sometimes you think you don't have a lot to offer, but when you see what you've learned from the institution you're a part of, you realize how much you can give back."