MARYSVILLE – Ellen Barber, director for Marshall County Partnership 4 Growth, a non-profit economic development organization, presented the Governor’s 2018 Business Appreciation Month Award of Merit to Curtis Hawkinson, chief executive officer, on behalf of Community Memorial Healthcare (CMH), Marysville, at Monday’s weekly Rotary club meeting at the Empty Cup Coffee & Bistro.
Barber and the Partnership 4 Growth nominated the local non-profit hospital for the award as part of the Kansas Department of Commerce’s June 2018 Business Appreciation Month promotions.
Barber said during Monday’s presentation that it was important to her to select a business in the community with wide reach, and cited CMH’s outlying clinics in Blue Rapids and Wymore, Neb., as well as the Marysville campus facilities, and the many zipcodes of CMH’s patients and 200-plus employees. Additionally, the award application requested a business with a strong investment in its local community, and Barber felt the hospital met that criteria and more, after $21 million worth of capital investments in the county in the last ten years alone following the building project for new hospital facilities in 2011.
“We are so lucky to have a facility that can attract and bring in 37 specialty physicians to treat residents, as otherwise that number of patients would look like people making doctor appointments in other counties and taking that money elsewhere, instead of circulating it in our own communities,” she said.
“This award is an acknowledgement of your business’ outstanding contributions to your community, the state economy, and the people of Kansas,” said a letter from Governor Jeff Colyer that accompanied the award.
Judging criteria for the award included business expansion, employee training and retention, capital investment since 2008, other awards received, community engagement, economic development and leadership training. Seventy-six companies across the state were nominated; five were selected as Excellence Award finalists, with McFarlane Aviation, Baldwin, winning the top award. Twenty other companies received Regional Finalist awards, including Koch & Co., Seneca.
“On behalf of all us at CMH, we are pleased to be recognized and appreciated as an essential contributor to our local economy. Not only for the health services CMH provides on a daily basis, but the significant economic impact CMH has on the local economy,” Hawkinson said.
