St. Joseph Health Legacy Award Recognizes Six for Living Franciscan Mission, Values

St. Joseph Health Legacy Award Recognizes Six for Living Franciscan Mission, Values New Award Honors Team Members, Physicians, Retirees Bryan, TX, March 2, 2018—CHI St. Joseph Health presented its new Legacy Award to six current and former team members for their commitment to Franciscan values and continuing the legacy of the health system’s founders, the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio.

Health Regional Hospital, recognizing St. Joseph Health Primary Care Bryan Dr. Stephen Braden, Cancer Center Social Worker Betty Jo Harp, retired Administrator and Vice President of Rural Hospitals Reed Edmundson, Internal Medicine and Primary Care Navasota Dr. C. H. Prihoda, retired Physician Dr. John Hall and Medical Staff Services Director Kathryn O’Briant. “The Sisters of St. Francis were messengers of peace, serving the poor and vulnerable here in our community and beyond,” said Dr. Kia Parsi, Interim CEO of St. Joseph Health. “Our Legacy Award recipients are committed to caring for others, influencing positive change and keeping the legacy of the Sisters alive.” Legacy Award recipients were nominated by their peers across St. Joseph Health for their commitment to the Sisters’ core values of Tenderness, Humility, Selflessness and Reverence for all Creation. Dr. Braden, a physician with St. Joseph Health for 35 years, was honored for leading by example, treating patients with respect and for selflessly giving his talents to others in need of care. With St. Joseph Health for 20 years, Harp was described as being helpful and compassionate in her delivery of patient care, bringing to her work an outlook that positively influences those around her. Edmundson, who served the system for 20 years before retiring in 2017, was nominated for his passionate service to St. Joseph Health’s rural communities, advocating for their access to health care at the federal, state and local level. A family physician in Navasota for over 30 years, Dr. Prihoda’s philosophy of care is that he uses his gifts to practice medicine and lets God take care of the rest. Coworkers stated that Dr. Prihoda’s patients see him as an extended member of their families. Dr. Hall, a family physician for 47 years, was described by his peers as a man of utmost integrity and honesty, viewing his physician role through the lens of a caregiver in service to his patients – a value he worked to instill in physicians he mentored. O’Briant, who has worked with St. Joseph Health for 23 years, was described as approaching her role with generosity, modesty and a servant’s heart, always ready to listen and selflessly give of her time. Honorees received a plaque, which will be displayed in Regional Hospital near a newly installed Legacy Tree, commemorating the core values of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio. About St. Joseph Health: Since 1936 St. Joseph Health has been caring for the communities of Bryan, College Station, Brenham, Hearne, Navasota, Caldwell, Madisonville and Bellville. With the area’s only Level II Trauma Center, the first Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center and the first accredited Chest Pain Center in the Brazos Valley, St. Joseph Health is a leader in critical care and the largest provider of cardiovascular care in the region. [For more information, please contact Director of Marketing and Public Relations Heather Bush at 979-774-2165 or [email protected].] ###