This is the 13th annual ceremony dedicated to the Ross Memorial Hospital Long Service Awards. This year, a total of 85 awards will be presented, with a collective total of 1,320 years of service. This year, the Long Service Awards will recognize employees as follows:

"This is an exciting day for the Hospital and our long service employees," explains Anthony Vines, President/CEO, Ross Memorial Hospital. "It is an opportunity to formally recognize the many years of dedication that these individuals have given to the Hospital. We are extremely proud of all of them. We look forward to their continued contribution to Ross Memorial and to health care, especially as we set our sights towards achieving the goals of an expanded hospital to better serve our patients and their families."

The James Ross Awards of Excellence are recognition awards of Ross Memorial's Celebrating Successes program designed to recognize staff and physicians for taking the initiative and delivering quality service in everything that they do at the Hospital. This award is a peer-to-peer recognition award whereby all employees had the opportunity to nominate a colleague and/or a team from any area of the Hospital.

Last year, the James Ross Awards of Excellence were introduced with four individuals receiving this prestigious recognition. This year, as well as the individual awards, there will also be a James Ross Team Award of Excellence presented to a team that has achieved excellence by going above and beyond.

"One person from each category, as well as one team, was carefully selected to receive a James Ross Award of Excellence," explains Holly-Ann Franchi, Communications and Public Relations, Ross Memorial Hospital, "and not an easy process, considering the calibre of people and groups who were presented as candidates. Each of these four individuals, as well as the team, has shown excellence in care, delivery and service. Each is a team player who is respectful, flexible and innovative and has taken exceptional initiative in going that extra mile."

"This is the second year for the individual James Ross Awards of Excellence, and the first time for the presentation of a team award," explains Anthony Vines. "It was tremendous to see the level of participation from the development of the awards to those who took the time to nominate their peers and to those nominees for continuously striving for excellence. Each of the nominees is to be congratulated for their efforts, contribution and commitment to health care and to serving the residents of the City of Kawartha Lakes."