Three UAB hospital employees and one UAB physician were honored for their dedication to health care by the Birmingham Regional Hospital Council of the Alabama Hospital Association.
The association’s ninth annual “Hospital Heroes” award highlights health careers while recognizing the accomplishments and compassion of hospital employees. As many as 10 state hospital heroes will be honored at a banquet in February in Birmingham, along with one hospital physician hero.
UAB Health System honorees are:
Joyce Horn, patient advocate for UAB Callahan Eye Hospital, where she has worked since 1972. She was a medical technologist and lab manager before assuming the newly created role of patient advocate upon her retirement from the lab in 2009.
John McGowan, a certified optician and Optical Shoppe manager at the UAB Callahan Eye Hospital, where he has worked since 1993. He was instrumental in organizing a donation of more than 900 pairs of reading glasses to victims of the April 27 tornadoes and has helped facilitate ongoing support of victims.
Terry Sims, a patient care assistant for UAB Callahan Eye Hospital, where he began working as a housekeeper in 1987 and was later promoted to his current role.
UAB hospital physician honoree is:
Kellie L. Flood, M.D., an associate professor of medicine and 
medical director of the Acute Care for Elders Unit at UAB Hospital. Flood joined UAB in 2006 and founded the ACE Unit to improve outcomes for older adult patients by providing an interdisciplinary approach to geriatric care. She also directs UAB’s Geriatric Scholars program.