Each year the MVP Provider Award recipient is selected based on several factors, including patient care, employee relations, leadership and hospital engagement. This year, the Medical Staff was tasked with making the selection using these criteria, giving this an added depth of meaningfulness. MHP Chief Medical Officer and General Surgeon Tim Breon, MD, said there are many outstanding providers at MHP and he is proud to be a part of a strong medical staff.
“We have tremendous people working to make healthcare personal, all day, every day,” Dr. Breon said. “I am very pleased to present this year’s Most Valuable Provider Award to Dr. Kymberly Life. Kym was selected by her peers for her exceptional patient satisfaction scores. She is soft-spoken, kind and compassionate to everyone she comes in contact with.”
Dr. Life has had a variety of experiences in medicine since beginning practice in 1991. She had a private practice in Internal Medicine, was a Hospitalist and works in Emergency Medicine. “Regardless of where she is working, Kym is thorough in patient work-ups and always takes time with each patient to ensure they are well cared for,” said Dr. Breon.
A few of the many patient comments received include: “Dr. Life was so good with my daughter! She made sure she was comfortable and made conversation to keep her distracted.” “Dr. Life always does a great job, very nice.” “Dr. Life is very attentive in our care. She showed concern and genuineness in everything she did from the time she entered the room to the time she left. She is a true blessing in the ER. Thank you!” “Dr. Life was amazing and very understanding. I would recommend her to anyone.” “Dr. Life was outstanding in caring for my father. Her kindness was very much appreciated.”
Other awards given at the dinner include the Newcomer of the Year Award to Dr. Angela Godejohn for being an exceptional addition to the Medical Group practice. She has been involved in several community activities, including being the featured speaker at this year’s Free Women’s Breast Health Night.
The High Speed Compassion Award went to Dr. Ronald Berges, Psychiatrist, for his life-changing care. Dr. Berges, and avid drag racer, is a great role model and team player.
The International Compassion Award went to Nurse Practitioner Jen Scott for her participation in a health outreach in Northern Thailand where they provide needed medical care to orphanages, remote villages and local tribes. She will be traveling to Peru and along the Amazon River in 2018.
The Compassion for Free Award went to Dr. Sreedhar Somisetty, Orthopaedic Surgeon, for his yearly participation in a free medical health camp in Des Moines. Dr. Somisetty joins a group of volunteer medical professionals who provide a variety of services to more than 200 people.
The Doctoral Compassion Award went to Nurse Practitioner Tonya Johannes, who completed her doctorate in nursing in the spring of 2017. This education provides Johannes with an additional depth of knowledge that can be used to help her better treat her patients.
The Scientific Compassion Award went to Pediatrician John O’Brien and Nurse Practitioner Tina Main for being local judges at the Oskaloosa Christian School Science Fair. They had the opportunity to view and hear about some innovative new projects by local 6th, 7th and 8th graders.
Mahaska Health Partnership, located in Oskaloosa, is a non-profit health system accredited by the Joint Commission. It is guided by its mission to provide exceptional customer service and health improvement, linking the science of medicine with the humanity of compassionate care. For more information about how Mahaska Health Partnership is making healthcare personal, call 641.672.3240 or visitwww.mahaskahealth.org.