A NI woman is 'overwhelmed' after being named winner of an Exceptional Midwife Award.
Interim Team Leader, Lisa Crothers was honoured as the winner of the Hazel McCalister Exceptional Midwife Award at a ceremony held to celebrate the International Day of the Midwife on Friday, May 5.
The Royal College of Midwives South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust Branch launched this award in February 2022 after Hazel’s family presented them with the award in her memory.
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The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust said: "This special award honours a midwife who has been nominated by their peers for going the extra mile and who has made an exceptional difference by their words or actions.
"This is a fitting tribute to Hazel who approached all situations with compassion, supported staff wellbeing and demonstrated great commitment to professional collaboration with all the members of the healthcare team, regardless of their position within the team."
Lisa Crothers was full of emotions when receiving the award and said: “I am overwhelmed that I have won this award.
"The midwives and Maternity Support Workers that I work with are the exceptional people who have made me the midwife I am today.”
Hazel’s husband John McCalister attended the event and expressed how proud he was being able to present the award to winner Lisa to continue Hazel’s legacy.
Head of Midwifery, Valerie Porter, said: “Today is a celebration of all midwives from the students right up to those who have retired. As the Head of Midwifery I am so proud of our South Eastern Trust midwives, the support they give to each other and the woman in their care every day is exceptional. A huge congratulations to Lisa Crothers, a fabulous midwifery manager in Lagan Valley Hospital.”
Lead Midwife for Continuity of Midwifery Care, Karen Gray, said: “International Day of the Midwife is a celebration. It is a celebration of what midwives and maternity support workers do on a day to day basis. We have come through a pandemic and have came out the other side, continuing to work together. We have been looking forward to the presentation of the Hazel McCalister Award as it is a very special tribute to a very special midwife.”
The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust said: "A memorial is being held in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast on 21 May 2023 to celebrate the life of Hazel and has been organised as a way of remembering all of those that sadly lost their lives to Covid-19 during the pandemic."
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