The Roy L. Schneider Hospital's annual Blue and Silver Ball recognizing St. Thomas and St. John health facilities employees of the year is set for Saturday, July 22, at Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort.
This year's honorees are Dionidas Anthony, Joyce Benjamin-Correa, Celeste Brin, Myris Guishard, John Olive and Dr. Vicente Poblete.
Anthony has been named Employee of the Year at the Myrah Keating Smith Health Clinic. She grew up in Puerto Rico, then moved to St. John after receiving her bachelor's degree in computer information systems from the University of Puerto Rico. After working in the hospitality sector, she joined the staff of the St. John clinic in 1994 as hospital accounts financial manager, a position she continues to hold.
Benjamin-Correa, who is receiving the Employee Service Award for the year, has been a medical technician with the local health facilities for more than 35 years. She began work at the old Knud Hansen Hospital as a secretary, then worked her way up through training and certification to become a technician. She has passed federal examinations in blood banking, chemistry, hematology and urinalysis and has taken courses through the federal Centers for Disease Control. Her contributions have included training new technicians and interns.
Brin is being honored as Nurse of the Year. A native St. Thomian, she joined the pediatrics unit of the then-St. Thomas Hospital in 1984 as a nurse's aide. Within four years, she was promoted to the highest level in the nursing assistance division. In 1996 she received her B.S. in nursing from the University of the Virgin Islands. This year, she was named acting head nurse of the obstetrics unit at Schneider Hospital.
Guishard is the hospital's Employee of the Year. A native of Curaçao who has resided on St. Thomas since 1971, she was the salutatorian of the Class of 1985 in the Charlotte Amalie High School adult education evening program. Her first job at the hospital was as a clerk in the gift shop. Since 1988, she has been working as a receptionist and providing transcribing, typing and filing services in the radiology file room.
Olive has been named Director of the Year. A graduate of Sts. Peter and Paul High School, he was certified by the American Society of Radiology in 1960 and joined the Knud Hansen staff in 1965. Two years later he moved to Alabama to work at a hospital while taking night classes toward a radiology technology degree at Gadsden State College, which he received in 1972. In 1985 he returned home to become radiology supervisor at the St. Thomas hospital, a position he still holds.
Poblete, an obstetrician-gynecologist, is being recognized as Physician of the Year. An honors graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, he specialized in high-risk pregnancy and control of premature labor at the New York Hospital Corwell Medical Center, then returned to the Philippines to practice and teach. Since moving to St. Thomas, he has been on the hospital medical staff while also maintaining a private practice. He is currently chief of obstetrics/gynecology at Schneider Hospital.
Employees nominate peers for the annual honors, and a selection committee makes the final determination of honorees.
Tickets are $35 for the Blue and Silver Ball buffet dinner and dance. Music will be provided by the Starlites. To make reservations, call 776-8311, ext. 2273 or 5092.