Pritchett and Bertolone to Receive the 2015 Marc Lehmann Spirit of Service Awards - Archived

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Pritchett and Bertolone to Receive the 2015 Marc Lehmann Spirit of Service Awards

Louisville, Ky. (October 23, 2015) - Melissa Pritchett, RN, a day shift charge nurse on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at University of Louisville Hospital, part of KentuckyOne Health, and University of Louisville physician, Salvatore Bertolone, MD, have been honored for their outstanding and compassionate patient care.

Pritchett and Bertolone are the recipients of the 2015 Marc Lehmann Spirit of Service Awards. The Marc Lehmann Spirit of Service Award, previously known as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society annual award, will be presented on October 30 at 6:30 p.m. at Vincenzo’s Restaurant in Downtown Louisville.

The award’s purpose is to identify and recognize physicians, caregivers and support staff whose careers encompass long‐standing service to patients and their families in the area of hematology and oncology. It is meant to honor physicians and support staff for outstanding patient care, and a consistent record of administering that quality care with dedication, empathy and understanding for their patients.

“I love my job, but more so, my patients,” said Pritchett. “My true love is making last wishes happen, and that brings me the most happiness.  I enjoy spending time with my patients and families and really getting to know them as a person, not just a room number or a disease. They make me a better person every day.  I have learned so much more about life with the gifts they have given me.” 

The foundation is named in memory of Marc A. Lehmann, who was stricken with acute myeloid leukemia at age 18, while a student at the University of Louisville Speed Engineering School and recent graduate of St. Xavier High School.

Marc bravely and fiercely endured a challenging eight-year battle including 500 hospitalizations. Ever the patient, enduring optimist, Lehmann fought on, until sepsis took his life on April 2, 2012.

“His valor and remarkable spirit in the face of alarming prospects proved, in the end, to be an inspiration to many,” said George Lehmann, Marc’s father and President of the Marc Lehmann Foundation. “Perhaps most notable were his many friends, family, and fellow patients of his generation who have acknowledged the lessons they took from witnessing his “grace under fire.””

About KentuckyOne Health
KentuckyOne Health, the largest and most comprehensive health system in the Commonwealth, has more than 200 locations including, hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies in Kentucky and southern Indiana. KentuckyOne Health is dedicated to bringing wellness, healing and hope to all, including the underserved.  The system is made up of the former Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System, along with the the University of Louisville Hospital and James Graham Brown Cancer Center. KentuckyOne Health is proud of and strengthened by its Catholic, Jewish and academic heritages.