Virginia Dodd Rice Award

Virginia Dodd Rice Home Care Award

To honor someone who has provided exceptional Home Health services in Kentucky, primarily through public health settings.
Guidelines: Nomination of someone who clearly has a caring attitude and sensitivity to the needs of the community and the populations served by Home Care services. While a professional degree is commendable, this should not serve as the primary contributing factor for a nomination.

2020 Recipient: Lisa Lawson-Bono, RN
HANDS Program Manager
Montgomery County Health Department

Described as having a big heart and a kind soul, this year’s recipient is loved and respected by her staff and the families she serves. While managing a program and staff, she leads by example by carrying her own caseload, performing weekly home visits, and covering visits for her staff when needed. Others describe her as hard-working, dependable and selfless. One of her staff members says, and I quote, “I think the thing that sets her apart from other supervisors is that she would never ask or expect you to do something that she would not do herself.” She also runs a financially stable HANDS program…..making money and not requiring any local tax dollars.

She serves on her agency’s accreditation team, and although her program documentation could not be used in the accreditation process, she jumped right on board into a domain which she had no knowledge of, relentlessly tracked down documentation, coordinated with other staff and consistently met with the Accreditation Coordinator to address her assigned domain. She is a champion for quality improvement and performance management.

A co-worker said, “She is one of the nicest people you could ever meet, kind and sensitive to the needs of others and once, gave away a pair of her own shoes sitting in her office to someone in need.” Her nomination and numerous letters of support talked about how she goes above and beyond what is expected, her leadership, and dedication.

Congratulations to Lisa Lawson-Bono, our 2020 Virginia Dodd Rice Award recipient. Lisa is the HANDS Program Manager at the Montgomery County Health Department.

Past Winners

2019: Not Awarded
2018: Lorrene Rawlins, BSN, RN
2017: Laura Johnson
2016: Joyce Lewis
2015: Anita Napier
2014: Allison Napier
2013: Jennifer Thurman
2012: Carolyn Caudill
2011: Billie Dyer
2010:
2009: Marilyn Graves
2008: Jeff Florek
2007: Jeannetta Berry
2006: Regina Campbell
2005:
2004: Karen Hinkle
2003: Lois Powell
2002: Lynn Whitaker
2001: Mary Lou Witt
2000: Virginia Wagoner
1999: Dianne Akers
1998: Margaret “Dale” Moore, RN
1997:
1996: Mary Jane Dunn
1995: Barbarra Kiper, RN
1994: Sarah Swinford
1993: Virginia Dodd Rice