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James Carr
Monica “Mo” Yates
Donald S. Willig, MD
Kathy Grove, MD
Armando “Mando” Reyes Agnes Wright
M
E T H O D I S T
H
E A L T H C A R E
PHYSICIAN WINNERS
Donald S. Willig, MD,
ra-
diologist, has given his time, knowledge and nancial
resources to support his community through the Hill
Country Mission for Health and Hill Country Daily
Bread. He gives to the San Antonio community by work-
ing with Moment of Truth Ministries, providing back-
packs lled with school supplies to needy children. Last
year, Dr. Willig spearheaded the formation of a nonpro t
clinic providing basic health screenings for children and
adults without insurance. In
2008
, he traveled to Romania
to set up radiology equipment and services in a clinic.
While there, he performed various radiologic exams
and trained local physicians to use the equipment. By
teaching others, he was able to continue giving when he
returned home.
Kathy Grove, MD,
general surgeon, set out on a mis-
sion trip last year to help indigenous people in Costa
Rica. She visited several villages, such as Palenque el
Sol, and spent a week with the Maleku tribe. e Maleku
speak their own language and struggle to maintain
traditions and customs. Tribe members had to walk
for miles to attend school and church. Dr. Grove, with
the help of her mission group, built a church for the
tribe. Last December, Dr. Grove coordinated an e ort to
donate
75
shoeboxes lled with school supplies, clothing,
toiletries and a soccer ball to the children who attend a
day care center in La Carpio, Costa Rica. Plus, she raised
enough money to cover the center’s operating expenses
for two months.
VOLUNTEER WINNERS
Armando “Mando” Reyes
has
been a volunteer at Metropolitan Methodist Hospital for
the past
10
years. He volunteers in the surgical waiting
WINNERS OF THE 2012
GRACEANN DURR HUMANITARIAN AWARDS
area because he loves to visit with the families and visi-
tors of patients who are either in surgery or in the surgi-
cal intensive care unit. He greets everyone with a smile,
a kind word and a warm welcome. He personally assists
people with their needs, whether it’s taking a cup of cof-
fee to a family member, consoling a patient’s loved one,
escorting visitors to their destination, helping a physician
locate a family member or simply helping sta , making
their jobs a little easier.
Agnes Wright
has been a volunteer at Northeast
Methodist Hospital for more than
15
years and is a
leader in the auxiliary. She serves as the nancial of-
cer on the auxiliary board. She has been responsible
for the hospital gi shop operations, overseeing the
nancial reports, ordering and performing inventory,
and scheduling volunteers to ensure that the gi shop is
open for guests and employees. Wright greets patients
and visitors with a warm and friendly smile. ere is no
monetary value that can be placed on her e orts and the
comfort she has given to many who have come through
the hospital’s doors.
EMPLOYEE WINNERS
James Carr,
chaplain, served as a
chaplain for Methodist Healthcare from
1998
to
2012
. He
retired on January
1
, working his nal shi on New Year’s
Day. It was a Sunday, and Carr was at Methodist Hospital,
just as he had been for the past several years, working a
shi no one else wanted. Carr spent his days away from
the hospital as a trainer for Stephen Ministers in various
United Methodist congregations in San Antonio. Stephen
Ministers provide spiritual comfort to those facing ex-
traordinary stress or grief. Carr learned to speak Spanish
to give pastoral care, prayer and conversation to patients
who spoke Spanish. He o en volunteered for night or
weekend shi s to give free time to other chaplains with
young families. In
2011
, his nal year of service, Carr
made almost
16,000
patient and family contacts, more
than any chaplain in our system.
Monica “Mo” Yates
, infection prevention manager
at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, knows discipline—a
character trait that she readily instills in the children
she coaches in track and eld. She began volunteer-
ing as a track coach
18
years ago when her daughter’s
coach retired. Yates and her husband, Dillard, took over
coaching a team of ve kids who competed in Amateur
Athletic Union events and quali ed for regionals their
rst year. e program quickly grew and had to be lim-
ited to
100
kids a er ve years. A er the rst year, the
team has competed nationally. e Yates attribute their
continued success to discipline and encouraging a sense
of pride. ey are enthusiastic about developing youths
into skilled athletes, preparing them for a possible future
in collegiate track and eld.
OTHERS NOMINATED
Additional nominees included:
Physicians—
Charles Je reys, MD,
OB-GYN;
Alejandro
Pruitt, MD,
gastroenterology;
Rene Jaso, MD,
general
surgery; and
George M. Richmond Jr., MD,
family
medicine.
Volunteers—
Debbie Freno
,
Ann Payette
and
Carolyn
Klebaum
.
Employees—
Imelda Guzman
,
Donna Lauricella
,
Arla Reimer
,
Peggy Dubuque
,
Kathy Black
,
Jane
Shafer
,
Patricia “Trish” Martinez
, Chaplain
Victor
Ihesiaba
,
Joanne Leggett
,
Joyce Wheaten
,
Lori Evans
and
Julie Peterson
.
Graceann Durr embodied the spirit of volunteerism. She served on the
Methodist Healthcare board for many years and in various roles as a com-
munity volunteer, including becoming the rst woman to chair the board
of the San Antonio Independent School District. As a tting tribute to her
memory, a ceremony was held in March to recognize the many humanitarian e orts of
physicians, volunteers and employees at Methodist Healthcare.
The Graceann Durr awards recognize the humanitarian
efforts of physicians, volunteers and employees.
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K E E P I N G W E L L