Dr. Samuel Joseph honored by HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital with Award of Distinction Nomination
TAMPA, Fla. (October 23, 2023) – HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital recently honored their recipients of the annual Awards of Distinction, part of an HCA Healthcare legacy to recognize those who exemplify the values and commitment to the company’s mission, which is the care and improvement of human life. The 2023 recipients were selected from more than 30 nominations across the division and include:
• Dr. Samuel Joseph, Jr., Frist Humanitarian Award Physician Enterprise Finalist
• Mary Frances Holmes, Excellence in Nursing Award Facility Recipient
“Each of these recipients is remarkable in their commitment to our purpose and our patients,” said HCA Healthcare West Florida Division President Jyric Sims. “We are honored to have Dr. Samuel Joseph, Jr. and Mary Frances Holmes as part of our West Florida Division team.
Named in honor of Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Sr., the Frist Humanitarian Award was started in 1971 to honor individuals for their humanitarian and volunteer efforts and is given to one colleague, one volunteer and one physician each year. HCA Healthcare later added the Excellence in Nursing Award Compassionate Care, Excellence in Nursing Award Professional Mentorship and Innovators Award to recognize the importance these attributes play as healthcare has evolved.
Dr. Samuel Joseph, Jr., Frist Humanitarian Award Physician Enterprise Finalist
He is the living embodiment of another popular Dr. Frist statement according to South Tampa Hospital CEO Sonia Wellman: “Take care of the patient and everything else will follow.” Dr. Samuel Joseph has dedicated his career to improving the lives of individuals with spinal deformity, through pioneering endoscopic surgical approaches, specializing in surgical revision, serving as a team physician for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and volunteering his time and talents, first to the Butterfly Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to bringing deformity focused academic spine surgeons and surgical teams to developing countries and then launching the International Spine Foundation (ISF). Through ISF, Dr. Joseph raised funds and led a mission to the Dominican Republic where his group of volunteer doctors and residents completed 17 surgeries for patients who had no hope for treatment otherwise. He and his family are also active member of the Make a Wish Found where he was the recently presenting sponsor for the 10th Annual Walk for Wishes Tampa that raised $156,000 to grant wishes for 20 children in Tampa Bay.
About HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital
Located in the heart of South Tampa, HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital is a full service 374-bed acute care hospital focused on personalized care. Services include emergency care at HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital, West Tampa Hospital and Central Tampa Emergency, accredited Comprehensive Bariatric (weight loss) Center of Excellence, minimally invasive and robotic surgery, orthopedic and spine care, hyperbaric wound care, cardiac catheterization lab and advanced cardiac imaging. Its secondary campus, HCA Florida West Tampa Hospital, is recognized for the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery, a destination program dedicated to meeting the endocrine surgical needs of patients with tumors of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands. Additionally, the West Tampa campus provides emergency care, inpatient and outpatient mental health services and inpatient substance abuse care. HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital is proud to be recognized as best-in-class for bariatric surgery for two consecutive years by achieving the nationally recognized Top 5% for bariatric surgery by Healthgrades. The hospital is part of HCA Florida Healthcare, a family of more than 570 affiliated sites of care across the state, including hospitals, physician practices, freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care centers. For more information, visit HCAFloridaSouthTampaHospital.com About HCA Florida Healthcare HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is a family of more than 650 affiliated sites of care, including hospitals, physician practices and freestanding emergency rooms. United as a statewide network in 2022, HCA Florida Healthcare includes approximately 11,000 experienced doctors and more than 79,000 colleagues working together to deliver advanced, collaborative care to more than 8.6 million patients each year. HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to improving more lives in more ways and giving back to the communities it serves. The network provided $848.8 million in uncompensated care and invested significantly in innovative technologies and facilities across Florida, including the new $360 million state-of-the-art, multi-specialty HCA Florida University Hospital in Davie, Fla. A