Heywood Healthcare Honors Area Health Advocates at Second Anniversary Celebration

GARDNER, Mass. - Feb. 13, 2015 - PRLog -- Heywood Healthcare celebrated two years of community, health and collaboration at “A Winter Affair” on Friday, February 6th at The Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg.

The annual event offered attendees and honored guests a chance to look back at the accomplishments of Athol and Heywood Hospitals, as well as look ahead to the future.

At the event, Heywood Healthcare honored Jim and Peggy Garrison with the Heywood Healthcare Community Health Hero Award, which recognizes an individual or individuals who significantly impact the health and well-being of the North Central and North Quabbin Communities. The SHINE Initiative, Inc. received the Heywood Healthcare Collaborator’s Award in recognition of the organization’s true healthcare collaboration leading to the development and implementation of effective community health programs and initiatives

Jim has long been a leader in the North Central region. Prior to his retirement, Jim was President and CEO of Instron in Canton and was President and Owner of H & R 1871 in Gardner. Jim also retired from the U.S. Naval Reserves with the rank of Commander.

Currently, he serves as Trustee at Heywood Hospital, Chair for the GFA Credit Union Supervisory Committee, Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts and the Greater Gardner Industrial Development Corporation & Foundation. Jim is a former Trustee Board Chair at Mount Wachusett Community College, Board Member of the Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce and served on the Board of Directors for the United Way of North Central Massachusetts. Jim is also the ex-officio member of the Mount Wachusett Community College Foundation.

Often recognized for his dedication to promoting both health and economic development in the region, Jim has been named both Citizen of the Year and Business Person of the Year by the Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce, Mount Wachusett Community College’s Citizen of the Year and Community Health Champion by Community Health Connections. Mr. Garrison was also presented with the Gardner Visiting Nurses Association’s Make A Difference Award in 2007.

Married for 51 years, Peggy has been an integral part of Jim’s philanthropic drive. Past president and current board member of the Acton Garden Club, Peggy has long been a strong force for community improvement. Together, she and Jim epitomize teamwork. Their unwavering collaboration continues to benefit our community in so many thoughtful and vital ways.

The SHINE Initiative stands out as a leader in the effort to recognize mental illness in children and young adults as a mainstream health issue. In pursuit of this mission, the SHINE Initiative develops funding and strategic alliances to improve public awareness and understanding of mental health issues, research and treatment. The SHINE Initiative began as a private conversation in 2003 and has evolved into a public conversation about mental illness.

Over 10 years ago, the directors and employees of Fidelity Bank in North Central Massachusetts pondered the question “how can we make a positive impact on a social issue that lacks popular attention and support?” What emerged was an unparalleled commitment to improving the mental health of the community. In the spring of 2004, the SHINE Initiative was officially launched to “shine a light on mental illness.”

In recent years the SHINE Initiative has honed its focus on mental health of children and young adults, because half of lifetime mental illness begins by age 14. The SHINE Initiative also believes that education and information-sharing can have a lifelong and positive impact on the mental health and total wellness of our communities. The SHINE Initiative is proud to be an active member of the Montachusett Suicide Prevention Taskforce, and to partner with a number of school systems and institutions of higher learning to raise awareness of mental illness and help diffuse and debunk some misconceptions and myths that have fueled stigma for generations.

Accepting on behalf of the SHINE Initiative were Paul Richard, Executive Director and Edward Manzi, Chairman & CEO, Fidelity Bank.

State Representatives Jonathan Zlotnik of Gardner and Susannah Whipps Lee of Athol presented a citations and congratulations from the Legislature to the Garrisons and the SHINE Initiative.

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About Heywood Healthcare
Heywood Healthcare is an independent, community-owned healthcare system serving north central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. It is comprised of Heywood Hospital, a non-profit, 134-bed acute-care hospital in Gardner, MA; Athol Hospital, a 25-bed not-for-profit, Critical Access Hospital in Athol, MA; Heywood Medical Group with primary care physicians and specialists located throughout the region; four satellite facilities in MA – Heywood Rehabilitation Center in Gardner, West River Health Center in Orange, Winchendon Health Center and Murdock School-based Health Center in Winchendon - and Heywood Charitable Foundation and the North Quabbin Community Coalition, an affiliate organization.

About Athol Hospital
A member of the Heywood Healthcare system, Athol Hospital is a 25-bed non-profit, acute care and outpatient facility serving the communities of the North Quabbin region of Massachusetts. Athol Hospital’s services include 24/7 Emergency Care, Oncology, Radiology and Laboratory, Diabetes Center and Center for Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation. It is designated as a Critical Access Hospital and Primary Stroke Center, licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and accredited by the Joint Commission.

About Heywood Hospital
Part of the Heywood Healthcare system, Heywood Hospital is a 134-bed acute care hospital in Gardner, MA, which provides a broad range of high quality medical, surgical, obstetrical, pediatric and behavioral health services on an inpatient and outpatient basis. The hospital’s Centers of Excellence include the Watkins Center for Emergency and Acute Care; the LaChance Maternity Center; the Diabetes Center; and the Heywood Heart and Vascular Center, an affiliate of the Heart and Vascular Center of Excellence at UMass Memorial Health Care.