Caritas Carney Hospital will hold its twentieth annual awards dinner on Friday,  Nov. 5. The theme for this year's event is "It's the caritas." The annual gala honors its greatest contributors to the hospital, a medical staff member who signifies medical excellence and two employees who exemplify the hospital's core values.

The Andrew Carney Award: Humanitarians of the Year Award will be presented to the Ladies of Charity Auxiliary of Caritas Carney. The Ladies of Charity began a tradition of service to the hospital in the 1940s. They have served as hospital ambassadors to the community, provided significant volunteer services and raised funds for capital equipment, making upgrades to the facility and establishing and maintaining special programs. The legacy of the Ladies can be seen throughout the hospital, especially in the Women's Clinic for Health and Safety, Marjorie's Place and the Caritas Carney CARES patient van.

Bradford A. Selland, M.D., of Hull will receive the Norman A. Welch, M.D., Award honoring medical excellence. Dr. Selland, service chief of neurosurgery, has been a member of the Caritas Carney Hospital medical staff since 1981. He has shown his leadership both in and out of the operating room as a past president of the medical staff and as a surgeon bringing state-of-the-art technologies to the hospital. Dr. Selland not only has brought new techniques in microsurgery to the hospital, but also has pioneered these techniques in Massachusetts. His surgical expertise has raised the level of significance of the hospital's entire surgical program.

The President's Award will be presented to Alfred Fontin, of Mattapan and E. Jennifer Morris, M.S., L.I.C.S.W., of Boston. Both Fontin and Morris consistently exemplify the hospital's mission of compassion, advocacy, respect and excellence.

Fontin began at the hospital in 1994 as a food service worker. Today, he is a pharmacy technician on the evening shift. His co-workers state that he displays a tremendous amount of respect for hospital staff, and the patients are his first priority. Fontin is an example of Caritas Carney employees making a profound difference in the quality of our patients' experience.

Morris, a 26-year employee, has exhibited tireless professionalism, whether as a social worker, director of social work/interpreter services or community ambassador. She is a remarkable patient advocate, putting what is right, moral, ethical and compassionate ahead of all other considerations. Always working for the community with the purpose of fostering our core values inside and outside of the hospital, Morris truly exemplifies the mission of CARE.

The dinner will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Quincy, and the host will bePeter Meade, executive vice president, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Anyone interested in additional information on sponsorship opportunities and tickets, may call 617-296-4000, ext. 2020.

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