On Wednesday, January 15, Saint Mary’s Hospital presented the inaugural Saint Mary’s Hospital Stewardship Awards to three community members whose work aligns with Trinity Health Of New England’s core value of Stewardship, as they each ‘hold themselves accountable for the human, financial and natural resources entrusted to their care’. The three award recipients are long-term, active members of the Waterbury community with proven track records of success.

Kim Kalajainen, President, Cheryl Hilton, Manager, CHWB, and Shawna Edwards, DNP, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer join Stewardship honorees; Althea Brooks, Arlanda Brantley and Margurite Bowen during the awards program at Saint Mary's Hospital's MLK Symposium program. 

The Stewardship Awards honor individuals who have worked tirelessly to make a meaningful and positive impact in the Waterbury community. As a community partner, Saint Mary’s aims to show appreciation and support for these individuals, recognizing their alignment with Trinity Health Of New England’s Mission and Core Values. The MLK Stewardship Awards were initiated by Saint Mary’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

The honorees are Althea Brooks, Executive Director of Waterbury Bridge to Success; Margurite Bowen, Director of the North End Recreation Center; and Arlanda Brantley, Founder and President of Helping Hands In the Community and President and Founder of Waterbury Girls Trek.

The short awards program was followed by a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Health Equity Symposium that was livestreamed. The Symposium entitled “Mission Possible: Advancing Health Equity,” was hosted by Trinity Health and focuses on racial equity by addressing issues like eliminating algorithms that create racial bias, reducing health disparities affecting mothers and babies, and understanding how challenges from past generations impact families today. In addition to Saint Mary’s, Saint Francis Hospital, Mercy Medical Center and Johnson Memorial Hospital also held watch parties for their colleagues.