University of Virginia Health System

 THE ALLIE RUDOLPH AWARD

For Exemplary Healing Practices

The Allie Rudolph Award for Exemplary Healing Practices honors a retired Social Worker from the Dept. of Family Medicine who saw patients and taught residents and students at the University of Virginia Health Sciences System from 1980 -2006. Allie epitomized the warm and caring presence who maintains a personal healing focus in the midst of a large and busy institution. Her work was always collaborative, respectful of patients and other clinicians, and intensely personal and focused. She invested time, energy and a powerful attention to the person in all of her encounters, and was a model of healing. The ideal of healing that she represented involves being with people in a way that helps them to get better in as many ways as possible, in body mind and spirit. We cannot always cure, but we can always heal.

The spirit of the Allie Rudolph Award is based in the reality that many of the members of the U. Va. Health Sciences System exhibit healing behaviors every day, often without recognition or appreciation. Honoring those contributions and practices is important in a community of people whose life work is healing the sick and caring for those in distress.

The Allie Rudolph Award will be presented annually to an employee of the U. Va. Health Sciences System who embodies these characteristics and is endorsed by colleagues as an exemplar of healing. The Award is open to all levels of faculty, trainees, staff and employees from all departments and areas, as caring and healing endeavors can happen at every level. The Award is represented by a plaque and a cash award, and will be presented in a public ceremony within the Hospital.

Nomination Process:

All employees are invited to honor a fellow employee by nominating him or her for the Award. The nomination letter and at least one supporting letter should cite the reasons for nominating this person, and give examples of the person’s acts of caring and healing. Any employee from any Department can nominate any other employee, from their own or any other Department, who they feel deserves this recognition.

Letters of Recommendation can be sent in Messenger Mail to:

Nominations are due by November 17, 2008.

Please take the time to nominate a friend or colleague for this Award, and highlight the hard work of those who work among us and lead us by their exemplary practices.