NEWPORT — Staff and volunteers of Harris Hospital in Newport recently received several awards at the Arkansas Hospital Association annual meeting held last month in Little Rock. Hospital leadership said the awards prove to the community how hard the hospital staff works for residents in and near the city.
“In a small town, the public perception of a hospital is a huge piece,” Harris Hospital CEO Robert Rupp said. “If you lose the confidence of the community, they’ll go elsewhere for health care. I think having the opportunity to be recognized for the things we do on a daily basis helps the community’s confidence.”
Rupp was selected as Administrator of the Year at the annual meeting, and he said he was humbled and shocked when his name was announced.
“It was a total shock, but I was excited,” Rupp said. “The most gratifying part of that was that it was from the auxilians, who have a huge part in our hospital.”
The Harris Hospital Auxiliary — the volunteer base at the hospital — nominated Rupp for the award. He has been CEO at Harris Hospital for three years, and members of the auxiliary said they have been thankful for his leadership and appreciation in that time.
“He makes us feel like we’re somebody,” auxiliary member Lena Manuel said. “He makes us feel proud of ourselves.”
Margaret Goodman, director of volunteer services at the hospital, said auxiliaries across the state submitted nominations for the award. The awards are given out in two categories: hospitals with less than 100 beds and hospitals with more than 100 beds. Harris Hospital has 133 beds, putting it in the same category as the largest hospitals in the state. Goodman said the nominations were then sent out of state for review and selection by an unbiased committee.
“It actually was sent to New York City this year,” she said. “Health care officials actually read our nomination form and chose him from that.”
Rupp said his success is directly reflective of the hard work of the hospital’s staff and volunteers, which he hopes is evident through this award.
“I’m only successful because of the people that we have here,” he said.
Even in the area of awards, Rupp does not stand alone. The Harris Hospital Auxiliary won the Award of Excellence and earned the facility a 5-Star Hospital award for the second year in a row at the Hospital Auxiliary Association Convention this year. Auxiliaries are rated in 33 categories and are awarded points for meeting criteria.
Like the Administrator of the Year award, the Award of Excellence is given to one hospital with less than 100 beds and one with more than 100 beds. Goodman said this award was gratifying for her and the auxiliary members because it does show what kind of impact a small group of volunteers can have on a hospital and community.
The Harris Hospital Auxiliary has 17 volunteers, and Goodman said sometimes those numbers can be disheartening when compared to other auxiliaries.
“We go to meetings all over where they talk about how large their auxiliaries are,” she said. “It was taking a little wind out of their sail. With that being said, these awards have been [earned] by these 17 ladies.”
The auxiliary members at Harris Hospital help with patient care, operate the gift shop and assist hospital employees where needed.
“[The award] shows what an important part of our hospital they are,” Goodman said. “It’s a lot of hard work.”
The auxiliary also won the Community Service Award for the group’s Adopt a Child program, through which auxiliary members donate gifts and support a child at a local children’s home.
The program started in 2010 when the auxiliary reached out to find a child in need. The group received the profile of a 13-year-old girl and started sending monthly donations and gifts for special occasions. This lasted until the girl turned 16, at which point the process started over again with a new 13-year-old girl.
The auxiliary members have never met their “adopted” beneficiaries, but they said they still feel a strong attachment to them and a sense of responsibility in bringing light to the young ladies’ lives.
“The auxiliary has to come up with a project that not only helps with our community but makes their organization a stronger one,” Goodman said. “Last year, one of the children from the Adopt a Child program wanted a bicycle. The ladies, out of their money — not out of the auxiliary money, but out of their money — purchased that bicycle and took it to a church so it could be delivered to that child on her birthday. That says a lot about this group of ladies to me. It’s not just being a volunteer for them; it’s making a difference in the community.”
Goodman said she is always looking for more volunteers, and those who are interested in joining the Harris Hospital Auxiliary can call (870) 512-3030.
Staff writer Angela Spencer can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or aspencer@arkansasonline.com.